Exploring the Newest Clubs

Members of the Sikh Student Association gather to participate in a "DiversiDye" tie-dye shirt event on Feb. 28. Source and Credit: Simrat Mangat

As the academic year comes to a close, Marist's newly founded clubs are gearing up to welcome members in the upcoming fall semester.

Whether looking to expand your horizons, meet like-minded students or simply learn about something new, Marist College’s recent club editions may be just the right starting point.

After noticing a lack of writing clubs present on campus, Francesca DeRosa ‘27 took it upon herself to speak to Marist’s English department about the possible implementation of a creative writing club. With a little digging, she discovered that the death of what once had been the Literary Arts Society, a combination of the Marist Mosaic and Writing Club, was to blame for this void.

Now determined to create a fun and leisurely writing outlet for students, DeRosa began her journey to revive this failed society into what will now be the Red Fox Writing Club. According to DeRosa, her vision is to create a comfortable environment where students can “enjoy and explore the possibilities of creative writing through unique and interesting activities.”

It wasn’t until this current semester that the club began to come together. With the help of Student Activities and professor of English Dr. Moira Fitzgibbons — as well as visiting lecturer of English Jeffery Canino, who has taken on the role of faculty advisor — DeRosa’s idea was able to come to fruition.

With the help of advisor Canino, who helped spread the word about the club, the first organizational meeting was held on April 16 in the Student Center. DeRosa said the meeting was held to gauge interest in the student body through a short series of activities, including a poetry activity and a group story. Although the club is still in the beginning stages of establishing bylaws and a board, she hopes it will be up and running in the fall semester. 

Launched last fall as an effort to meet other Indian and Sikh students on campus, the Sikh Student Association was founded by President Simrat Mangat ‘26. 

After gaining momentum in events and student participation, Mangat said “the highlight of the experience has been witnessing the enthusiastic participation of students from diverse backgrounds in our events and activities.”

“It's incredibly rewarding to see individuals coming together to learn, share and celebrate Sikh culture,” said Mangat.

The goal of the Association, said Mangat, is to educate her counterparts on Indian culture and Sikh religion through a series of events centered around historical events and holidays. The top priority is to create a comfortable, safe and fun space for Indian students, while creating a more inclusive community at Marist.

Looking into the future, Mangat hopes to continue the journey of raising awareness for Sikh culture to students of all backgrounds. “We're committed to continuing our mission of educating our peers about Sikhism and fostering unity among students, especially since not many people know who Sikhs are,” she said.

As a biomedical science major with a minor in psychology, Gianna Perugini ‘24 found herself choosing between the career paths of either a physician assistant or physical therapist. Once physician assistant was out of the question, she struggled to find an outlet that guided her through her career.

This inquiry sparked the idea of what is now Marist’s Pre-PT Club, which Perugini is now the secretary for. Since starting this spring, the club aims to introduce undergraduate students to the expectations of the physical therapy career path. The events held by the club will help answer questions about requirements after graduation, information about PT school and familiarize students with some skills they may see during that journey. 

So far, the club has had a few guest speaker events that informed students about different specialties within the profession. One of these speakers included a current employee at Marist’s graduate office who spoke about the PT school admissions process.

A Doctor of Physical Therapy panel in collaboration with the Marist PT program was also held for members this semester, where students had the opportunity to ask PT students about their day-to-day lives studying the profession, as well as time management skills with an increased workload. As she leaves Marist to attend DPT school at Sacred Heart University in the fall, Perugini hopes to see a growth in membership throughout the course of next year.

For more business-oriented students, Marist Consulting Club is a student-run firm that advises local businesses in the area, according to co-founder and managing director Nick Gabriel ‘24.

With the help of his other co-founder, Colin Campbell ‘26, the process of starting Marist’s Consulting Club began over the summer. The two worked together to gather alumni and industry professionals, as well as plan out business case study events and hunt for case competitions. They even found their first client during the process, a local New York State arts center based in Kingston.

After working closely alongside faculty in the School of Management, Gabriel says dean Will Lamb and Student Government Association advisor Michele Williams have acted as mentors throughout the creation of the club. Now, it stands with 30 members in the current spring semester, with hopes of increased participation in the fall. 

Gabriel said the club is open to students of all backgrounds, skills and majors. The goal of the club, he added, is for these students to “work directly with clients to get their hands dirty, thinking of strategic initiatives to guide clients to success in the real world.”