Fort Smith Four
Covering Local News and Local Issues
How to Survive UAFS: Social
By: Lauren Schluterman
November 30, 2015
The University of Arkansas-Fort Smith (UAFS) is a fantastic school and while it is commonly called a commuter school and considered small for a university, it has a lot to offer. UAFS is home to over 7,100 students, but I’m reaching out to the freshman class here. There is something for every student if they know where to look and I’m going to show you the way. Whether you are looking for friends, a club, events, or just where you fit in, you can find your niche if you look hard enough.UAFS has over 100 registered student organizations (RSOs), which makes it easy to find one or twenty that you fit in with you just have to know what you want to be a part of. There are academic organizations, art organizations, cultural organizations, greek life organizations, honor societies, political organizations, religious organizations, sports organizations, special interest organizations, and university outreach organizations. With this many categories, there is bound to be multiple organizations that peek your interest.
Each category is made to make it easier to understand what some organizations do or stand for. The academic organizations are geared towards majors; as are the art organizations, so if you are looking to get more involved with your field of study or just the people in the same one as you these are what you are looking for. The cultural organizations are all about educating the university, community, and society about the different cultures we have on our campus and encouraging acceptance and collaboration between them. These are great organizations to join if you are interested in learning more about other cultures or looking for a place to be accepted. UAFS is also home to four interfraternal fraternities, three panhellenic sororities, and one multicultural sorority which make up their Greek community. From academic encouragement to philanthropic opportunities to a support system built on love and acceptance, Greek life has lots to offer to all kinds of people. There are an abundance of honor societies on the UAFS campus as well; some are major specific, some
With those organizations, it is more obvious what they are about. The special interest organizations and outreach organizations are less so and house many groups people might not realize we have. Every year they add new organizations. The two newest special interest organizations they have are UAFS Moms and Collegiate League of Feminist Empowerment. As for outreach organizations, UAFS has many, but two of the most popular seem to be Cub Camp, which many UAFS freshmen attend right before classes start each fall, and the Campus Activities Board (CAB), which is in charge of hosting a vast majority of the events on campus.
UAFS constantly has events going on, so almost any day of the week there is something to get involved with or go see. When school starts there are dances, game nights, and a block party that showcases all the student organizations, just in the first week. After that there are
are reserved for Greek students, some are only for non-traditional students or veterans, and some are solely based on leadership. There are also political and religious organizations for every denomination and political view, and sports organizations for everyone. They have everything from the normal soccer and tennis, to the unique fishing and quidditch.
four movie nights a semester and several different events giving away free food. CAB hosts coffee houses, game nights, tea time, karaoke nights, and trivia nights. There are also health and wellness events, cultural events, and athletic events throughout each semester, and different church groups meet every week. There truly is something for everyone if you just pay attention and go to things, so don’t be afraid to try something new; you might just find the thing that makes your college experience what it is.