A list of groups you should definitely check out

Joining a club is an easy process, but finding the right one can be challenging. For any first year student, the UTSU Clubs Fair can be summed up in a single word: overwhelming. So here is a review of just three of many amazing clubs on campus to join this fall!

Naginata Club

At U of T, the Naginata Club focuses on practicing Atarashii Naginata, a modern martial art that is based on the ancient Japanese practice of using a pole shaped weapon for defensive and offensive techniques. One their newest members, Paul Schweitzer, a first year Archeology student at University College comments, “Naginata seemed unique compared to other martial arts; the club had a really good presence, everyone was in uniform, holding naginatas.” When the club’s President, Yuki Nishumura, first joined the club four years ago it was comprised of only nine members as opposed to a membership of over 50 today. Under the direction of Nishumura, the club has focused on developing mutual trust amongst its members, a strategy that has proved successful, as the club has consistently placed in either first or second place in various tournaments. In fact, they even qualified for the World Championships in June, where they sent members to represent Team Canada. The Naginata Club meets regularly from 10:00-11:00 pm on Wednesdays and 10:00 pm-12:00 am on Sundays at the Hart House Lower Gym.

Dodgeball Club

Dodgeball is universally known as a lively and competitive sport. As a newly inaugurated club this year, they are offering loads of fun to everyone who joins in. Their president, Tsz Ying So says, “We wanted to form a club where students could easily pick up on a sport and make new friends by doing something fun… dodgeball is one of those sports where you have to have played at it least once to really know how fun it is. It’s very safe, a good workout and most importantly, it brings out the little kid in all of us … it’s also great as a de-stressor.” The Dodgeball Club meets Friday evenings on Front Campus or in the Hart House Lower Gym.

Quidditch

Quidditch is primarily a sport played in the world of the Harry Potter films. However, at U of T, it’s a real sport- and a fun one at that. I caught up with the current team captain, Sarah Basciano, and asked her how she first got into it. She told me, “I heard about quidditch in my first year during frosh week. Then on the day of tryouts my friend who was on my floor asked if I wanted to go with him to try out, and I of course said yes because I was both excited and intrigued.” The rules are simple: each team consists of three chasers, two beaters, a seeker and a keeper. The chasers score points by throwing the quaffle (a slightly deflated volleyball) through any of the three hoops on the opposing teams’ side. The keeper is basically like a chaser (they can score too), but is primarily a defender of their own hoops. The role of the beaters is to throw bludgers at people to take them temporarily out of the game. The seeker makes their entrance halfway through the game, and tries to capture the snitch, a ball attached to the back of the shorts of a neutral player, which is worth 30 points and ends the game. The two seekers basically wrestle the snitch to try and grab it from one another. The team practices on Front Campus twice a week, and participates in tournaments. Their four upcoming tournaments are in Waterloo, Guelph, Ottawa and Kingston.

Featured image courtesy of  Veronica Prokopovych