de G? 8 ent ? Kaloyan mentions that he talked with older students about clubs and was advised to be cautious when choosing them because some can be very demanding. He says, “They told me what is good about them, what is bad about them, and told me to really think about joining a club.” He praises clubs’ importance to the university “They are teaching you how to work in teams; what would it be like to have a business; hosting events; searching for partners.” Kaloyan also mentions that clubs can be benefi cial for your CV and provide you with helpful skills. 71 Only a month into his studies, Kaloyan admits that he regrets not applying to any clubs this year but believes he could have managed it and is looking forward to applying next semester. 50 41 31 28 26 21 26 22 20 27 49 Another factor for this lack of engagement is the small number of student leaders living on campus. Since last year, juniors and seniors have been given almost no spaces in the residence halls, forcing most of them to move off campus. This aff ects the awareness of clubs among new students as most club leaders are third or fourth-year students. Maria Hristova, President of XAIA Hiking Club and third-year student, says “When you are on campus it is much easier to connect... and now with club leaders living outside, it is a little harder to organize and takes more time.” 9 Fall 2024 | AUBG Daily During the recruitment process, Maria says that there was “defi nitely much lower engagement than before.” She mentions that other clubs also noted “little to no engagement” at their recruitment parties. This makes it challenging for students to understand clubs and their role in campus life. With no long-term club members in the residence halls, it becomes much harder to be exposed to club culture and their activities. This creates a barrier for new students to get involved with the community. There are still applicants for clubs, but the absence of new students is becoming ever so prevalent in one of the most signifi cant parts of life at AUBG. Editors: Niya Manditsch and Eka Iakobadze D av id M ito v
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