Being a member of a club is a great experience, and learning a skill is a guaranteed bonus, says Marisa Manzocco.

“As a business major, I have to be able to speak in public and do presentations flawlessly,” she says. “It would be great to observe and learn new ways of communicating well.”

Manzocco signed up with the Odette Toastmasters Club on Tuesday during the Clubs Week information fair in the Student Centre Courtyard. Though she is a new member of the club, she is already familiar with interacting with like-minded students. Before starting her first year at the university, she was on the debate team in high school, an opportunity that led to the formation of many good friendships.

“I made a lot of friends from other schools while on the debate team,” she says. “If anything, I’m really looking forward to networking with other club members here.”

While building friendships, students get to help improve the lives of others, says Anand Janarthanan, co-president of the campus chapter of Engineers Without Borders.

“Our work is to apply our creativity and technical skills to developing Africa,” he says. “We want to help rural Africans access clean water and higher income from farming.”

Janarthanan foresees a busy yet fruitful year with upcoming fundraisers and outreach campaigns for support.

“We have had 25 students sign up today alone,” he says. “That says a lot about how much they value their fellow man, no matter his social status.”

More than 130 campus groups are participating in Clubs Week, promoting activities, academic disciplines, cultural groups, or political and religious perspectives. Activities continue today and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

—story and photo by Chantelle Myers