Student Org Spotlight: OU Catholic Student Society
Sitting in the Oakland Center can be intimidating when it’s crowded and you’re alone. There are many students enrolled at OU who don’t know anyone when they arrive on campus. Some may talk to acquaintances in class, but meaningful friendships can be hard to form. It can be difficult to make friends if you’re a new student, a commuter or shy.
College isn’t just about studying and academics. It’s also meant to be an enriching social experience. If we explore OU outside the classroom setting, we have the ability to form memories and relationships that outlive our time as students.
There may be just 20 students in some of your classes, but there are thousands of students on campus. This university is too big to ever feel like you’re alone.
OU has a club for just about everything. If you want to talk politics with people, OU has a club for that. Want to exercise in a group? There are clubs for that, too. Student organizations are a wonderful place to meet people who have common interests.
On Sept. 6 during Grizz Fest, many student organizations had the chance to promote their clubs. One club that had a booth was the Catholic Student Society.
The next day, the CSS welcomed new members in the CSA with an indoor picnic. Students of different majors, class standings and ages came together to discuss their faith, introduce themselves and eat snacks.
Already, friendships were beginning to form and new members were exchanging phone numbers. Students started talking about their personal lives, their majors and OU. The gathering became something more than a faith-based club: it was a group of new friends brought together by a topic they’re passionate about.
Charlie Donahue, treasurer of the CSS, believes the society is a great place to make friends.
“We have a diverse group of students who come to the meetings,” he said. “We always have students who are of every class. From freshmen to senior and extra grades as well. There’s a lot of diversity. There’s a lot interaction.
“We always try let everybody interact with one another at all of our meetings. We’re always trying to do things that involve each other, so we’re not just there for the speaker, so we’re at least there for each other.”
At the picnic, staff of the CSS recommended churches in Rochester near OU. They also offered transportation to Sunday church for OU residents.
“I think [the CSS] is important for students, especially freshmen who are coming away from home for the first time, to be able to be in a place where it’s okay for them to hold on to their faith,” said Holly Ryan, president of the CSS.
Ryan expressed concern for students who lose faith after high school.
“So often, there’s this idea that you have to put it all behind or you graduate as soon as you leave home and you can just forget your faith. It’s really, really sad,” she said.
Ryan encouraged others to hold on to their faith in college: “There are people who still hold this stuff dear and really close to their hearts.”
The CSS has many upcoming events and meetings to look forward to. Students interested in the Catholic Student Society can look them on Instagram (oucss), Grizz Orgs and Facebook. For more information on the Catholic Student Society, contact them at [email protected].
For a full list of OU student organizations, visit Grizz Orgs.