How USyd's Clubs and Societies Have Responded to COVID-19
Jossie Warnant
The transition to online learning at The University of Sydney (USyd) has required clubs and societies to innovate and take their activities online.
Clubs and societies are vital to the student experience at USyd, and executives have been working hard to ensure that students can still benefit from their activities.
To help students manage challenges associated with learning a language without face-to-face learning opportunities, USyd’s French Society created a Corona Kit. The kit provides beginning, intermediate and advanced resources for students to keep up with their French during the pandemic.
Without being able to share food and drink, events coordinator Althea Alano, said that it has been difficult to maintain connection between group members.
“We've had to find other ways of keeping the social aspect alive, without the food,” she said.
The society has conducted French film nights and an overseas exchange information night, which Alano said transitioned well online.
The French Society also switched over to online conversation groups, held over Zoom. This weekly event helped members keep in contact and improve their French skills whilst in isolation.
This new format has brought with it some advantages, including the use of breakout rooms to mix up groups and the ability to tailor the offering to different skill levels and abilities.
“I think that's actually something you can't have in person because...Zoom kind of allows you to speak to everyone,” said French Society President, Nada Abu-Zazour.
Whilst more structured events have transitioned effectively online, social activities have been more difficult to translate in a Zoom context.
“I think certainly the social side of just going to a tournament has been kind of destroyed,” said Sweeney Hughes, USyd Debating Society Development Officer.
USyd’s Debating Society has stopped all in person competitions, moved internal competitions onto Zoom and are live-streaming debating seminars.
Sweeney said that the society has lost some senior members who feel “they might as well take a year off because it’s a bit weird for them.”
But the society has also seen this time as an opportunity to extend their online programs.
“Online debating has also provided a bit of an opportunity in so far as I think the society's long talked about presenting more content online. So we've now started to deliver things through YouTube,” said Hughes.
The transition to online debating has also provided opportunities to engage in more debating competitions.
“I think one thing that's been really unique about online debating is that it's far easier to engage with the global debating community at the moment,” said Hughes.
USyd’s Media and Communications society has also faced a series of challenges with transitioning their activities online. But President Emelie Watkins said that “societies might be more important now than ever before.”
“With in-person uni life and social interaction pretty much removed from the equation, it’s been important for MecoSoc to ensure we stay connected with our members online,” said Watkins.
This semester MecoSoc partnered with Sydney Marketing Society to host an online live industry panel which allowed students to tune in from the comfort of their own homes.
This reflects the trend that more formal events are easily transitioned online, but less structured social events are difficult to replicate.
USyd’s second semester has been delayed by three weeks. It is unclear whether or not students will be returning to campus in August. This means USyd’s clubs and societies could be forced to continue their online activities into next semester.
The continued work of societies is vital to keep campus culture alive, but online activities are unlikely to be able to replicate all aspects of club and society activities.