Students can expect to see
more callouts
By Dave Stephens
Assistant
Campus Editor
Purdue has over 630 student organizations.
And within the next few weeks, most of them will
have a callout.
A callout is a meeting held by a student organization
to invite new members to join.
Nancy Wolfe, who works in the student activities
and organizations office in the Dean of Students office, said it’s
a simple process for an organization to host a callout.
"Any recognized student organization can host a
callout," said Wolfe. "If they need to use a University room they need
to call Space Management and Academic Scheduling, if they want to use
a room in the Union or Stewart Center, they need to call the Union."
Wolfe said student organizations also need to fill
out an event planning form, which is available in Schleman Hall Room
250.
"Some clubs probably have their event without filling
out the paperwork," said Wolfe. "But we don’t recommend that because
it might create a scheduling conflict."
The other benefit of filling out planning forms,
said Wolfe, is the event will be scheduled on Student Services Information
Web site.
Shaun Moore, a junior in the School of Agriculture
and head of the Environmental Science Club, said his club’s callout
is the main way it attracts new members.
"Our callout is usually very successful," said
Moore, "I think we just hit the basics in that we let everybody know
what our mission is. Another key thing we do is we always try to offer
something for students to get involved with from the beginning. That
way they come back."
Melissa Jeffers, a senior in the School of Liberal
Arts and the vice president of the Reamer Club, said her organization
hosts two callouts every semester. She said they try to offer a well-known
speaker, such as Gene Keady, to help draw students’ interest.
"We also hold a perspective party, in which we
invite the new people back so that we can get to know them better,"
said Jeffers.
Instead of big name speakers, the Baptist Collegiate
Ministry tries to focus on creating relationships at their first meeting,
said ministry director Christy Latham.
"We focus on the fellowship of it," said Latham.
"We try to have a good time and usually make some homemade ice cream."
While different callout activities can make new
people want to join a student organization, it’s getting people
to come to the callout that is sometimes the difficult part.
"We rely a lot on e-mail lists," said Moore. "Our
club is kind of focused in certain majors and we get the e-mail lists
from the different departments."
Moore said the number of chalkings or flyers the
Environmental Science Club posts is kept minimal. He said that instead
the group relies on students learning about them from the Boiler Gold
Rush student activities fair or the Activities Bonanza hosted by the
Purdue Student Union Board.
Jeffers said the Reamer Club sends letters to all
residence hall counselors, inviting them to nominate students from their
floors to come to the callout.
"We also post flyers, do chalk talks, just to get
the information out there," said Jeffers.
N More information about student organization callout
dates can be had by logging on to www.ssinfo.purdue.edu or by consulting
the Purdue Mortar Board.
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