 Welcome to Purdue FAQ's Boilermakers Respond. I'm your host, Erin Anderson. Today, we're talking about one of the most important aspects of college, finding your community. There are so many ways to find friends at Purdue, from learning communities, cultural centers, clubs, and organizations, and more. To share her experience with finding community at Purdue, we have a special guest, Ava, President of the Purdue Student Union Board. Ava, can you tell us a little bit about your experiences with PSUB and how you found community at Purdue? Of course. During my past three years here at Purdue, I've been a part of the Purdue Student Union Board, otherwise known as PSUB. It's a student organization that's over 100 years old and aims to provide campus and community with fun, free, accessible events for all. PSUB's a really great way for students to get involved, have fun, and meet new people. Between my involvement with PSUB, my academics, my time in the residence hall, and campus jobs, I've been able to find a really tight-knit community here at Purdue. That's awesome. Purdue has a number of learning communities. What are learning communities? So in a learning community, you and a group of your peers with similar interests will live in the same residence hall, take some of the same courses, and experience networking and skill building activities outside of your typical coursework. Learning communities serve as sort of a built-in group of friends that try to support each other during their time at Purdue. What kinds of learning communities can I join? So there are dozens of learning communities for students of different interests, majors, and backgrounds. We have agriculture, entrepreneurship, education, ROTC, and engineering to name a few, and you can view the full list at purdue.edu slash learning communities. Awesome. There are cultural centers too. What is a cultural center? So a cultural center is a place for students to come together, gather, learn, share, and support the different cultures and identities of our diverse student body. Cultural centers are open to all students to get involved in. What cultural centers can I find on campus? There's the Asian American and Asian Resource and Cultural Center, the Black Cultural Center, the Latino Cultural Center, the LGBTQ Center, and the Native American Educational and Cultural Center. How can I find out more? You can go to the individual cultural center's websites or visit purdue.edu slash diversity-inclusion. What are some of the other clubs and organizations that you can join at Purdue and how do you get involved? Well, Purdue has over 1,000 different student organizations and clubs, and they're all led by students. If you want to, you can view the full list at boilerlink.purdue.edu. Definitely check that out. What types of clubs and organizations can I join? Well, with so many different orgs across campus, I'm sure there's one for everyone. You can join Purdue's largest student-led organization, Purdue University Dance Marathon, or maybe you want to show off your green thumb with the Art of Bonsai Club. You can also make a difference with the Ace Campus Food Pantry. There's so many amazing options, but if you can't find a group that you like, you can always create your own. The opportunities are endless. What are some of the clubs and organizations that you're involved with? So as I previously mentioned, I am very involved with the Purdue Student Union Board and I'm currently serving as the President this year. When I came to campus in the fall of 2020, PSUB was a great opportunity for me to explore my interest in event coordination, utilize my organizational and leadership skills, while also getting involved, which is something I found really important. I think many students will credit their student organization with being something that they can find friends, grow on personal, professional and academic levels, and I'm so happy that PSUB has been able to do that for me. That's great. What are some other ways you can find your community at Purdue? I found if you have the ability to take a few elective courses that appeal to an interest or hobby you have, it's a great way to find what Purdue has to offer and simultaneously meet some people with similar interests. Additionally, Greek life is really big on campus and can be a great way to find community and intramural sports are a great low pressure way for you to meet new people, have fun and stay active. Awesome. Okay Ava, one last question. What is your advice for students that are anxious to find their community at Purdue? I think this is a really common anxiety amongst lots of incoming college students, but I think it's important to remember to be open-minded and patient as sometimes community takes a little bit of time to build and that is perfectly okay. But if students want to start exploring, they should try to go to events hosted by student organizations like PSUB or their residence hall. Overall, with over a thousand student organizations, five amazing cultural centers and an abundance of learning communities, Purdue has something for everyone. So I really encourage all students to try to figure out what's best for them. That's great advice. Thank you. Thank you for joining us today on Purdue FAQ's Boilermakers Respond and thank you to Ava for being our guests today. What other questions do you have about life at Purdue? Let us know in the comments below. Be sure to follow Purdue University for more episodes. See you next time. Boiler up.