Finding a sense of belonging can be challenging for those who choose to move away for college. At the University of Nevada, Reno, students are widely encouraged to join clubs and extracurriculars as an effort to connect with their peers. However, it’s difficult for some students to find something that speaks to them.
Isabelle Shaw, the founder and president of the Crochet Club, had to start a club to see her interests on campus.
“I really like crocheting– I was hoping to join the UNR Crochet Club, but they didn’t have one,” Shaw said. “But one of the RA’s in my hall talked about how she started a hiking club, and she suggested that I start a club. So I went through the processes and we have our constitution, and the club’s been established since October 2023.”
Shaw met many of her current officers through a similar interest in crocheting. Addy Larson, the publicist for the club and Shaw’s roommate, joined the club after finding out there was a newly founded club for what she calls her “versatile hobby.”
“You can bond and form friendships around something that you and other people find interesting,” said Larson. “I tend to be introverted, but it’s easy to sit in a room with people and just crochet and still have the option to spark up a conversation.”
Shaw says that since creating the club, it’s made her feel more engaged in her community.
“Being a part of clubs is super cool,” Shaw said. “I’m part of a bunch of other ones too, but running a club, I get to see how everything works behind the scenes.”
Although students don’t have to create a club like Shaw did, she expressed that being a part of clubs and extracurricular activities has helped her, especially in her first year of college.
“I believe that universities encourage students to join clubs because it’s more student engagement on campus,” Shaw said. “It especially helps with mental health because when you’re a part of a community, you feel less lonely. … I think it reaches campus life a little bit more because imagine if we didn’t have clubs. I can’t imagine going to my room and studying all day.”
The Crochet club meets every Friday in different locations and welcomes anyone interested regardless of their knowledge on the subject of crocheting.
“We try to put a lot of effort into making newcomers or people who have never crocheted before feel welcome,” Shaw said.
In the first few months since the club was created, about 10 to 20 people show up regularly, Larson explained, though she feels the Crochet Club reaches a bigger group of people than just its regular attendees.
Tatum Hanshew, the Campus Life Club Commissioner in the Clubs and Organizations Department of the Associated Students of the University of Nevada, Reno, believes that joining clubs is very important, especially for non-local students. ASUN is the University’s student governing body, and oversees clubs and activity funding and administration.
“It’s vital for [students] to have a specific community that aligns with their interests, goals, and professional development,” Hanshew said. “Even the fun clubs can be kind of a community for those students.”
Hanshew added that she finds a purpose in expressing herself through extracurriculars.
“I’m from Las Vegas and so I really didn’t know anyone coming here,” said Hanshew. “It was hard for me to adjust but joining clubs and getting involved really helped me find my place and find people that are similar to me.”
Hanshew says that clubs can be a way for students to find a sense of belonging and can feel like an “escape” from homesickness even though they might eat up a certain amount of time in a student’s already busy schedule.
Hanshew also believes students benefit when they participate in numerous clubs and extracurricular activities, some being the Queer Student Union and the Black Student Organization for students in the LGBTQ+ and Black communities.
The Crochet Club has future events planned, one being a collaboration with the University’s Art Club in the spring. For more information or to contact the club, it can be reached through the club’s Instagram: @unrcrochetclub or the club’s email: unrcrochetclub@gmail.com
For information on social events and club suggestions across campus, ASUN can be contacted through its Instagram: @nevadaasun.
Alex Psak can be reached via email @apsak.unr.edu or on Instagram via @alexandrapsak.
