How anybody can start a club at Coastal

A way to find yourself and learn what you are passionate about can be through the clubs and organizations at Coastal Carolina University. CCU wants their students to feel free to express themselves in whatever way they feel is necessary.

Director of student activities and leadership, Jessica Combess, has been a part of CCU for two and a half years now; working with the clubs and organizations. She always knew she was going to live in at one of the Carolinas and that is what enticed her to join Coastal Carolina University. If you are someone who is looking to start your very own club or organization; Combess is the person to see.

“[First you have to] come up with an idea, then you go to Coastal.edu/coastalconnections to see if [your idea] already exists here at CCU and if it does not exists then [you] need six friends,” said Combess. “One has to serve as the president, one as the treasurer, and [you] need a faculty or staff advisor.”

Be persistent; if you have a plan follow through with it.

“Go ahead [and] start having meetings; you can table off on campus [and] you can see what’s available and what’s out there and really get your member base going,” she said.

Combess is willing to help anyone with anything. Whether it’s just support on getting started or if you’re at a standstill.

“The office of student life is here for you, your advisor is here for you; myself, [I am here for you,” she said.

Some of the new clubs and organizations that exists at CCU are as follows: Alpha Sigma Phi, Birds and Bees, CCU Jump, Club Be Your Own Boss, DaughterSafe of CCU, Designer Dimension, Dungeons and Dragons, Exercise Science Club, Game Makers Guild, Mountaineer Club, Ski and Board Club, Speed Racer Club, The Chantettes, and Zeta Phi Beta Inc.

Zachary Green, the president and co-founder of Speed Racer Club came up with the idea when he was sitting in his FYE class during the getting to know you icebreakers. Green’s favorite movie is Speed Racer which surprised him when another student joined him in that interest.

“It is an old cartoon that [a lot of people do not like],” he said.

But, it has always been special to him.

“The movie came out in 2008 and it was really just this love letter for the craft of anima and the way cartoons were made at the time by the Wachowskis,” he said.

They meet once a month to watch the movie Speed Racer and take regular retreats for more bonding.

“It’s anyone between theater kids, intel majors, everyone will come out of the woodwork,” he said.

Green took a moment to thank the university for being supportive in students’ interests.

“I would like to thank my coastal family for supporting student led organizations. It is incredible if you see an opportunity that you want to pursue; the amount of support that this university provides is [unbelievable],” he said.

For more information on the Speed Racer Club, visit their organization’s page on Coastal Connections.

If you are interested in any of the clubs that were listed in this article, be sure to check out Coastal Connections online and scroll through the many clubs and organizations that Coastal Carolina has to offer.