FIU’s Student Organizations Gear Up for In-Person Fall Semester

Elise Gregg / Staff Writer

Since March of 2020, FIU students have had to work, learn, and meet online. Now, students, faculty, and staff are slowly transitioning back to on-campus life. 

For many students though, this has meant more than just staying informed on FIU’s safety guidelines. Club leaders from Chi Alpha, FIU Women’s Volleyball, the Registered Student Organization Council, and the FIU Child Rescue Coalition have had to figure out how to keep their clubs together and stay safe. 

Making those decisions and running a club through a global pandemic hasn’t been easy: Luis Moros, Junior Vice President for Registration at FIU’s Registered Student Organizations Council (RSOC), has had to help hundreds of students throughout the pandemic and with transitioning. 

RSOC Junior VP Luis Moros / Courtesy Luis Moros

This has involved answering questions from students, holding seminars to prepare club leaders for fall, and putting together checklists and presentations for students to use as guidelines. 

Moros, a junior majoring in political science and criminal justice, said that he expects some anxiety from the clubs, but also expects RSOC to be an example to other students. 

“If we are afraid about what’s going to happen next then over 400 organizations are going to be the same,” Moros said. 

From last March to this summer, things have evolved to be completely virtual and then to hybrid. However, the transition to fall in-person is uncertain but exciting for many students. 

Viviana Mejia, president of FIU Women’s Volleyball, said that when the pandemic began she wasn’t even sure where her team would be able to practice, and had to talk to many students desperate for answers.

Viviana Mejia, president of  FIU Women’s Volleyball / Courtesy Viviana Mejia

Even when practices were able to start again, the club still faced difficulties. 

“During this spring we were actually able to start our practices [but] it was very strict,” said Mejia, a senior majoring in political science. “You had to register in order to get in the gym: if you weren’t registered you couldn’t go in, so it was a struggle for all of our players.”

Fortunately, Mejia said that FIU was helpful in keeping her and her teammates updated, and that she rarely was out of the loop on safety guidelines and new protocols. 

Prachi Lalwani, president of on-campus bible study group Chi Alpha, echoed Mejia in saying that FIU and RSOC have been helpful with the transition. 

For Lalwani, a junior and international relations major, maintaining a club over the pandemic involved a lot of work in staying connected with members. 

“All the leaders reached out every day to at least one member,” said Lalwani, adding that they did this through zoom meetings and phone calls outside of regular club meetings.

The effort that went into staying in touch with members meant that their connection got stronger over the pandemic as well. 

“I think that during the pandemic what helped a lot is the fellowship that we had, that we were intentional with the people that were with us,” said Lalwani. “So I think that is what helped us to be close…we have a vision, we have a purpose and we want to serve God.” 

Similarly, Mejia said that the volleyball girls had to keep up communication through WhatsApp.

However, starting a club during the pandemic was even more difficult, according to Rebeca Naveda, who founded FIU Child Rescue Coalition in 2020. 

“Literally all we’ve known is being online, and to say the least, it’s definitely been hard,” said Naveda, a third year biomedical engineering student. “Not just because it’s been online but also because you know, a pandemic is going on [and] a lot of people have been very low on…morale.” 

For Naveda, encouraging her members to stay active and engaged, virtually discussing sensitive topics like child exploitation, and recruiting new members have been the biggest challenges. However, like Mejia and Lalwani, RSOC has been a huge help for her. 

“I definitely feel like…FIU definitely has people there to help you through every step of the way,” Naveda said. 

CRC President Rebeca Naveda / Courtesy Rebeca Naveda

Despite the struggles students have faced during the pandemic, they’re excited about what’s happening next. In between, however, students must figure out how to shift from pandemic standards to the next normal. 

Moros predicts an overall easy transition, with the possibility of some clubs staying hybrid because it allows more people to join in – even from outside Miami.

RSOC already held a priority registration seminar for club leaders on July 9th to ensure that everyone is as prepared as possible for the fall semester. 

“[FIU has] been really helpful, [and] provided us with the latest updates about the pandemic, about what we can do,” said Moros. “Once we gather all of that information then we’re just the people who…let the others know about what’s going to happen with the rest of the organizations.” 

For Mejia, the contrast between last spring, this summer, and the coming fall semesters has been stark. 

“Summer tournaments have actually been a lot smoother; I’m assuming they’re dropping down the requirements for all of that, because now they don’t really require you to register,” Mejia said. “And then last semester they also didn’t allow us to travel and play with other schools but I believe for the fall they’re allowing us to travel again.”

CRC hasn’t had the experience of being in-person, so transitioning has included some stress. 

“I am a little terrified because we’re a new club, and like I said we’ve never been fully in person,” said Neveda. “I don’t know what to expect so obviously, you know the unexpected you’re going to be a little nervous about it.” 

However, Naveda is looking forward to the fall because it means she’ll finally have the in-person interaction that CRC needs. This includes everything from putting faces to the names she’s come to know from virtual meetings, to being able to recruit new members with the passion and expression that can only be found in person.

For some clubs, remaining hybrid has been the best option for now.

“I placed myself in the position of others, understanding that people had older people in their houses or their kids,” said Lalwani about Chi Alpha remaining partially online even as meetings come back in person. “I don’t want that being a restriction for them to receive what God wants for them.” 

For Lalwani, the fall semester means looking forward to the old Chi Alpha, as well as gearing up for changes.

Chi Alpha President Prachi Lalwani / Courtesy Prachi Lalwani

“I believe things are going to be super different, but at the same time you feel something new is coming up,” Lalwani said. “I’m super excited for that because I know with me having experience before I can see what we’re like and mistakes and things that we need to work on and keep working to make Chi Alpha a family.” 

Mejia said that her team is especially looking forward to travelling for competitions, but that there’s still uncertainty for other schools who may have different restrictions than FIU. 

“I think that what everybody in the club wants is just to travel and be able to play other schools,” said Mejia. “We’re happy we can travel but I guess we have to also wait to see if other schools can also play.” 

Moros added that he expects the fall to be full of in-person meetings and events, but that there’s plenty students can do to be prepared for when that all happens, such as connecting with RSOC and continuing to use the P3 app.