Which USyd clubs and societies are worth your time and money? 

We’ve all been there: wandering around the brightly coloured stalls, handing over our cash for cardboard membership cards and calico bags stuffed with sponsored supplies. All too quickly, you’ve signed up to seven plus clubs, only to realise a few weeks later that you’re:

(A) no longer enticed by the effort required to go to those events;

(B) consequently unlikely to make any use of their membership; and

(C) wasted money they could have otherwise spent buying pide from Uni Bros.

But are clubs and societies really a ‘waste’ of money and time? Honi sent out a questionnaire to various student-run USyd clubs and societies. Thirty-seven replied^[1] with surprising enthusiasm.

It’s not about the money money money

One third of surveyed clubs have no membership fees (although participation in their major events may require additional costs).

“We want no barriers blocking people from getting involved with our society,” said James Wood, president of SU Ruhi Society. Six others – Calligraphy Society, Women in Science, AIESEC, SU Ghost Hunters, SU Thai and PastaSoc – echoed this remark, stressing the importance of societies being “accessible” and “inclusive” to all.

Both the Statistics Society and SU Mathematics Society (SUMS) hope free membership will attract as many members as possible. According to SUMS, “Most people would not join if a fee is required.”

Interestingly, the Roller Derby Society offers optional membership, meaning students choose to either remain a non-member and pay per session ($5 for ACCESS; $9 for non-ACCESS), or pay the $5 membership upfront for benefits like every sixth session free and free skate hire (which would otherwise cost $2 per session).

Getting bang for your buck

There seemed to be an overall emphasis in survey responses on how easy it is for members to retrieve back the dollars they spend on joining societies.

Almost 70% of surveyed societies throw in freebies for members, such as food or drinks. JazzSoc, for instance, gives members one drink voucher at every event. “Given that a drink is on average $5, if [members] go to two of our events, their membership is paid off,” said Hubert Demonteverde, president of JazzSoc.

Almost all surveyed clubs that do require membership fees said this additional income from students – accompanied by the standard $4000 annual funding limit provided by the University of Sydney Union (USU) – goes towards paying for:

• O-Week goodie bags that include beer drink vouchers (Brewiscal), CDs (SU Musical Society), discount movie passes (FilmSoc), water bottles (Medical Science Society), t-shirts and stationery;
• Free weekly food, particularly pizza and soft drinks, or, in the Food CoOp’s case, healthy lunches supplied by Vegetarian Society;
• Discounted events like JazzSoc’s annual Swing Ball ($10-15), Metal Society’s tickets to music shows and clubs around Sydney, SU Association of Malaysian Students’ (SUAMS) Deepavali Night and Mamak Night (high-quality meals for a small fee or for free), as well as Science Revue Society’s annual comedy production (member entry costs $5 instead of ~$20 for concession);
• Maintenance of equipment for societies like SURG FM (radio broadcast gear and studio) and SU Marching Band Association (SUMBA) (drums and music).

Pledging your allegiance

But if you want more from your membership than just a return on your financial investment, you’re going to have to ‘dive into student life’ and engage. Becoming an active member of a society is like entering a new relationship: you’ll need to water it constantly for any chance of growth.

How much time is considered ‘commitment’? Nearly 60% of surveyed clubs said they have weekly events, with six out of the twenty-two saying they meet up even more regularly. Soulxpress holds hip-hop classes most days of the week, while both the Roller Derby Society and SURCAS have two to three sessions a week that cater for different groups and skill levels.

For many revue societies, your level of participation depends on the selectiveness of your director, and the quality of your audition. If you’re part of the Wom*n’s Revue Society, for example, you’ll only “meet twice a year but twice a week if [you’re] in the show”, according to Victoria Zerbst, former president of the society. Other clubs, like the Science Revue Society, have event times that vary from week to week for any and all members.

The verdict

Regardless of how you keep in touch with your society, dedication is key. No one’s going to appear at your doorsteps and force you to participate. It’s ultimately up to you – the overworked, overstressed student – to choose socialising at events over curling on the couch in pyjamas. Joining will only be worth your time if you’re eager – or at least willing – to translate that money into energy.

Here’s a brief guide into how you can get your money’s worth out of each surveyed club/society:

^[1] List of clubs/societies who participated: AIESEC, Brewsical, Calligraphy Society, FilmSoc, FINSOC, Food CoOp, JazzSoc, MESSY, Network of Wom*n, PastaSoc, Pavlov’s Dogs, Roller Derby Society, Science Revue Society, Soulxpress, STATSOC, SUAMS, SU Ghost Hunters Society, SU Italian Society, SU Mathematical Society, SUMBA, SU Metal Society, SU Musical Society, SU Project Management Society, SU Quidditch Society, SURCAS, SURG, SU Ruhi Society, SUSO, SUSS, SU Thai, SUUNS, Unibodhi, Unimates, USYD BookSoc, USYD Go Society, Women in Science, Womn’s Revue Society, Young Socialist Alliance.