Featured
Students can learn more about student organizations during Fall Fest from noon to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 3, on the Boston campus.
Every Thursday night, a club member gives a presentation on three prehistoric organisms and three people who love prehistoric life as part of Northeastern’s Prehistoric Life Club, one of about 600 student organizations at the university.
Matthew Murphy, a fifth-year chemical engineering major, founded the club in spring 2022, intending for it to be a place for students who love fish and prehistoric life. The club rebranded to focus on fossils the following fall “so that we had a more diverse cast of critters to talk about,” Murphy says.
The group was officially recognized by the university in spring 2024 and now meets at 7 p.m. on Thursdays. The presentations are usually based around a common theme, Murphy says, like a location.
“Everyone should consider joining,” Murphy says. “We truly have something for everyone. Many people come for one aspect of the club but stay because they’ve become interested in other aspects they didn’t even know about before joining. Certainly, if you’re interested in prehistoric life in the slightest, this is THE club to join on campus.”
Northeastern has more student organizations available than ever before with 598 active organizations on the Boston campus — and several more in Oakland and London — according to Brandon Mathieu, director for the Center for Student Involvement.
The Center for Student Involvement and Northeastern’s administration work with the student involvement division of the Student Government Association to manage the university’s student organizations. This includes taking applications for new proposed organizations.
Last fall, about 60 new student organizations were approved by the university, according to Dylan Lee, vice president of student involvement with Northeastern’s Student Government Association. This is higher than the 30 to 40 applications Student Involvement usually sees in the fall.
“College is not just an academic institution,” he says. “It’s a place where you can form a community, be a part of things other than just school. Six hundred clubs is a crazy amount for a school of our size. Undergraduates are enthused to join clubs, to start clubs.”
Northeastern’s student organizations include Greek life, club sports, cultural groups, volunteer-based organizations, and clubs based around skills, hobbies and other special interests.
Isabela Miyaki, a junior psychology and business administration major, is involved in several student organizations, including the Alliance of Civically Engaged Students, a community engagement program that helps students learn about the city and Northeastern through volunteer work.
But she finds time to unwind through Northeastern’s DIY Crafts Club, which meets every two weeks to do different crafts like collages or cross stitching.
“It’s one of my favorite ways to (relax),” she says. “Being part of student organizations is one of the biggest ways you’re going to find community. I love that it also gave me a lot of different opportunities to explore … new things. Like co-op helped me decide what I want to do, that also applies to clubs and organizations.”
Northeastern students also have the chance to stay active with 64 club sports teams that range from soccer to alpine skiing.
The university’s trap and skeet team was a big draw for Hannah Harens, a graduate student studying bioengineering. It’s part of what drew her to Northeastern, and she’s gone from new member to a leader on the team over the last three years.
The sport, which isn’t super common in the Northeast, allows any student to try out. Team members go on to compete with other schools around the U.S.
“We don’t limit based on skill level,” Harens says. “We take everything into account, like how willing you are to learn about the team, about the sport, all sorts of things. We’re always happy to have people just come out and try the sport once and experience it.”
Many of the clubs on Northeastern’s Boston campus are available on other campuses as well; London even has a Taylor Swift Society that students can join. Lee says the SGA also just received an application from the Content Club, which originated in Oakland, to open a branch on the Boston campus. This is the first time an organization in Oakland is expanding to Boston.
Students can learn more about student organizations during Fall Fest. This year’s Fall Fest is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 3 from noon to 4 p.m. Lee says students interested in applying to create a new club can also reach out to the student involvement division of the SGA for more information.