Childish Gambino and Calvin Harris weren’t the only attractions at Juice Jam on Sunday: The university’s Student Involvement Fair also took place at Skytop Field. Featuring a variety of the almost-300 campus groups offered at Syracuse University, here are a few highlights from the fair:

ART: CathARTsis

Merriam-Webster Dictionary perfectly sums up the goal of new campus group CathARTsis: the purification or purgation of the emotions, primarily through art.

Sasha Pincus founded the group last semester.

“I felt like I couldn’t find enough outlets on campus to do art, and I was feeling sort of angsty,” said Pincus, a junior.

An art and psychology dual major who hopes to be an art therapist, Pincus took her passion for art and emotions and turned it into a positive force by creating CathARTsis, which is open to all SU and State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry students.

She hasn’t nailed down the specifics on what major activities CathARTsis will do, but she promises big plans are in the works. In addition to meeting every Thursday for general artistic expression in an open studio, she will plan other events throughout the year.

Last semester, while the group was getting started, they were able to enjoy the art of baking when Pincus’ mom showed everyone how to bake bread.

The club includes every artistic interest from dancing to drawing.

As Pincus puts it: “It’s for anything that makes you feel good.”

HUMOR: The Kumquat

This just in: Satirical news group The Kumquat is back for another semester of mocking the news.

The show began with three freshmen, who noted the lack of a satire news groups on campus and decided to take matters into their own hands. Within a semester, they were an official campus group, releasing videos roughly every two weeks on their YouTube channel.

To co-founder Nicolas Sessler, The Kumquat is more a way of life.

“When we perceive worldly events, we don’t think, ‘How can we objectively report this?’” Sessler said. “We think, ‘How can we make fun of this in a way that will help people understand it?’”

Sessler and Alex Kuzoian, the other co-founder, want to release content more often.

The two of them — both sophomore television, radio and film majors — note The Kumquat is about more than just being humorous.

Said Kuzoian: “It’s kind of controversial, which promotes discussion about the topic.”

ACADEMICS: Debate

Only on SU’s Debate Team can students go from having a serious discussion about bioethics to talking about dragons. Debate President David Kopel said that isn’t unusual for a debate meet.

“We have a lot of leeway to write cases about whatever is interesting to us,” said Kopel, a senior biological and medical physics major. “Pretty much whatever you find an interest and a passion in, you get a chance to explore that.”

The team travels to other schools for tournaments on the weekends, where two teams of two people each go head to head arguing each side of a “case” and are judged by students and debate alumni.

Any SU or ESF student who thinks he or she has what it takes to debate some of the smartest people in the country can join. Simply attend one of the club meetings, which are held Tuesday and Thursday nights at 8 p.m. in the Hall of Languages.

Said Kopel: “It’s a lot of fun. After you go to a tournament or two, you get really addicted to it.”

HEALTH AND WELLNESS: Active Minds

The message of mental health awareness and suicide prevention group Active Minds might be serious, but the group’s leaders want people to know that coming together to “stomp out the stigma” surrounding these issues can be fun.

The group started about a year ago when Lexy Davis, a junior child and family studies major, was looking for a student-run mental health awareness group to join.

Not finding what she wanted, she came across Active Minds, a network of campus-based chapters that promotes mental health advocacy and education. She decided to bring a chapter to Syracuse, and she’s now both the founder and president. Her twin sister, Ariella Davis, serves as vice president.

This year, Active Minds, which is open to all students, is hoping to raise even more awareness about suicide, depression, stress, eating disorders and more through various activities like movie nights and speakers.

Said Lexy Davis: “People that join will, no matter what, find some way that they can relate to it, and then help spread awareness on campus.”

Published on September 11, 2012 at 11:46 pm

Contact Anna: amhider@syr.edu