Tifton’s ABAC and Bainbridge campuses hosted their annual Club Rush, which allows clubs to come out and showcase what they are about. Club Rush is held at the beginning of each semester to allow Stallions, new and returning, to learn more about the clubs and organizations, including Greek life, Registered Student Organization (RSO), and others.
However, this Club Rush happened to be something special. According to Student Activities Coordinator Shawn Burnette, “This is probably one of the biggest turnouts since we started Club Rush back in spring 2014.”
With the increasing number of students that ABAC acquired this year, the numbers rose to around 4,000 students. There are 60+ clubs this year
Burnette said, “Here at ABAC, these are the clubs that drive almost every event on campus. I call them the backbone of what all students can do. If it’s an event happening, 90% of the time it’s probably one of these clubs hosting that event.”
Several clubs also got the chance to express what club rush means to them. Reid Luckie of Kappa Sigma Fraternity said, “We actually just got back in the fall this semester. So we are pretty excited about coming back to campus. This is our first Club Rush, so we’re just trying to interact with people and make Greek life and ABAC more full.”
Colleen Barber of the Student Alumni Council said, “We serve as the bridge between the students at ABAC and our alumni sponsors. So, for us, it’s just to be able to make connections with people. I remember as a freshman coming to Club Rush, and that was a really exciting time just to see everything there is to offer on campus. I think a push for ABAC this year should be for more student engagement, so I am really looking forward to that.”
Taylor Horton of Alpha Sigma Alpha also spoke about her experiences at Club Rush and what it means to her: “You have the opportunities to go out and see all the organizations on ABAC’s campus and really get a feel of what’s best for you.”
Melanie Jimenez of Advancing Towards Occupations in Medicine (ATOM) said, “We have a great opportunity of joining many clubs. We have ATOM, Stem, Pre-vet, and a lot of eye-opening clubs you can join for a very good experience.”
Blake Nicholson of the ABAC Ambassadors said, “I like seeing all the new faces and just meeting all the rest of the clubs.”
Zion Timmons of ABAC’s African American Male Initiative (AAMI) said, “I like seeing new people and getting the name of the club out there.”
Club Rush helps boost relationships between freshmen and upperclassmen. Hunt Stevenson of Turf Club spoke about the cause, saying, “Having all the freshmen come out, and being able to interact with upperclassmen, it’s just an opportunity for upperclassmen to give some advice and help them get involved more on campus.” Â
For more information about clubs, you can check out ABAC’s website at http://www.abac.edu/campus_life/get-involved. You can also go by Burnette’s office, located in Branch Hall on the second floor, to ask more questions regarding clubs, or email him at douglas.burnette@abac.edu.Â