Virginia Commonwealth University Top Questions

What are the most popular student activities/groups?

V

Basketball

Jessica

One of the most popular organization at VCU is the New Student Programs and the Activities Programming Board or APB which are responsible for running many free events to students at VCU. Most of the activities they hold involve recent free movies every weekend in the commons area, stress relief programs during finals, and partake in events during homecoming plus many more throughout the entire year. Alot of students attend them because they know they are going to have a fun tie and there is always free giveaways enough for everyone.

Tariye

I would have to say the most popular groups were probably the greek organizations, however I was so busy with projects I never took the time to really investigate student activities and groups.

Olivia

There are so many that one doesn't stand out the most. It ranges from fraternities/sororities, to the intramural quiditch team.

Katherine

Side projects

Adesewa

basketball games!

Nicholas

Ah, well, I can't speak to what's most popular, as I have not collected data and was never a popular guy, haha. But I think what's more important, anyhow, is how many different groups and activities there are. I know that in order to be an official student organization, it must meet certain criteria, so one is almost guaranteed to not be wasting their time if they're following something they have genuine interest in. I admittedly met most of by close friends through the music department, so that somewhat affects what I do on and off campus. For example, on weekends I usually play a gig with a soul/funk band at a local restaurant/bar or music venue, or rehearse for one. As for being around alcohol at a gig, I would argue that that's a safer way to be in that environment, since the bar, being a business, does not let anyone under 21, myself included, drink. At all. Outside of that scene, I've dabbled in ballroom/swing dance club. And there's always a good show to catch on most any day of the week, whether it be music, theater, or other form of art. Best of all, these are usually discounted for students, or even free with VCU ID!

Trenicka

I think the most popular student activities have to be, intramural sports, greek life and last but not least student organizations. I definitely think the most popular of them all are student organizations, I have been apart of 3 student organizations and I have enjoyed them all. VCU has over 200 student organizations to join and its absolutely great! I think what made me appreciate student organizations was being apart of SGA to be able to be the governing body over student organizations and being able to realize just how much organizations exist on campus. But I have a deep love for NSBE which is the National Society of Black Engineers, I was so excited to join and I have formed life long friends and our chapter at VCU is like a family, you meet people who are going through the same things as you and people who are willing to help you succeed and just life long friends you will never forget.

Laura

Although sports have become increasingly popular over the past year (Final Four, anyone?), most students are involved in at least one type of service group. There are quite a few honor societies, sororities and fraternities, religious groups, and countless other groups that meet regularly. Although there is a party scene, especially being in the middle of a city with a bustling downtown area, there are free movies shown in the Student Commons on Friday and Saturday nights as well as the Break Point area in the basement where you can play pool and other games with your friends any day or night of the week.

Joseph

If it goes against the government, corporations, or school administration you must be in a VCU organization! Honestly though, the VCU SGA is great. I highly recommend getting involved like I did to attempt to make the school a better place. Plus, you know facts that no other student can comprehend, making you that much smarter. I lived in Rhoads hall freshman year. 4th floor. Room 401. It was okay. Meh. Expect dirty toilets, poop in the showers, pranks, and fire alarms weekly at 3 am. Always lock your door. You're in Richmond, VA for Gods sake. Don't leave anything out of sight unless you know there is a nice steel door with a deadbolt securing it. I suggested retinal scanners for dorm rooms but that's out of budget. I met my closest friends in middle school, not college. That's why they're my closest friends. They grew up with me and came to college with me. Don't come to Richmond expecting to make a great friend. Chances are low. Just look at the facts, 80{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the students consider their friends the protestors on the streets. (Not a real fact, but most for the most part true. Fraternities and sororities are absolutely ridiculous. Remember what I said about your closest friends? Why would you ever PAY for friends. "For an annual fee of $500.00 we will pretend to be "brothers/sisters" and force you to drink more alcohol than you can handle." Sounds amazing, doesn't it? You don't build connections...you burn bridges. If you love the music scene (doesn't matter what genre) you'll love Richmond. Every band and group usually makes a stop here. If you don't drink, good for you. You're probably already the more intelligent than the rest. Really though, if you don't drink you can always play Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3. When I go off campus...I go home. Nothing like a front and backyard with a driveway and free parking.

Lerence

Because VCU is so diverse, there are a lot of student organizations. Pretty much every ethnicity has their own club. You can get involved with anything!

Jasmine

Sororities and Fraternities of every kind is on campus and most students tend to be attracted to them.

Lisa

Obviously, VCU Basketball is a big deal. Other than sports, VCU has almost 500 different student organizations. The most popular are the cultural awareness organizations.

mariel

There is a lot of greek life. If you choose to be a part of greek life or to party with them, you will see how many students are involved however if you dont, you won't really notice them much. Club sports are very big and our brand new gym is opening up this spring which is exciting because it is going to be huge and really nice and brand new. I like going to the commons theater to see free movies and eat free popcorn and if you go to like five of them, you get a pass to go to the real movie theater in town for half off. The screen in the commons theater on campus is just as big as in a real movie theater too. I know a lot of people who leave there doors open in my dorm, and ive never heard of anything getting stolen. four people live in each room so i dont think anyone would walk in because they wouldnt know if anyone was home or not.

Branden

The social life at VCU is among the most vibrant and exhilarating in the country. The city and the campus are a wake 24/7 with social bugs floating around, participating in a number of exciting activities. There are multiple sections of social life in Richmond including downtown Richmond, Cary town, Short pump, Belle Isle, the James River, the Siegel center, the dorms, Campbell library, Monroe Park, Bird Park, May mount Park, and much more. Richmond is a very athletic city with nature and city mixed together.

Kat

I don't live downtown, so I hang out with people mainly not from VCU. If you live down there, though, and on a popular street , then it's easier to party. The cops are pretty laid back too. I've heard the frat parties suck though, and Greek life isn't that big (THANK GOD)

Christine

I joined a sorority at VCU, but decided not to pledge. The greek system isnt very popular at VCU, but people do know the top ones on campus. I am not a big partier, so I dunno about parties personally but I heard there arent very many and they arent good from others.

Erika

The social life at VCU is so amazingly broad that I don't even know where to begin. I don't even know all the different groups at VCU. I party on the weekends. During the week days i spend my afternoons at the library and I'm part of an organization. A fun and educational activity to do on campus is people watch. At the compass point, my friends and I like to people watch.

scotti

I plan to always let people hang out in my suite, and to spend a lot of time with those who live with me and in GRC.

Alex

There is a pavilion outside of the student commons that houses concerts and other shows, and outside of campus, there are theaters, churches, restaurants, and places to hang out.

Autumn

As a theatre student, I'm always at the theatre. I work with the other technical students & I party with them as well. The second semester, I would go to two to three parties on weekends when work wasn't so stressful. I actually met my closest friend in our stagecraft class. We would go out to dinner together & we became closer. I'm a scenic painter & she's an actress, so we do have different schedules at times but we do make time for one another. Dating life is kind of hard for me. I did have a few flings with upperclassmen acting majors but one graduated, the other is a lying player & the last one? He and I are very close now. I know a friend, he's an acting major, who met an art major in his dorm. I would say Brandt is the most unsocial dorm because you have suits & such. Johnson & Rhoads are crappy, so you have to leave your doors open so you don't boil up or freeze & this gives you opportunities to meet others on your floor.

Matthew

Rhoads hall seems to be the most community type dorm while GRC and brant seem to be the most private dorms but you can keep to your own schedule better, johnson seemed to be some what of a mix. When i went to a tour i was told "if you want to party every night you can do it" and that was pretty true (didn't do it but had plenty of friends that did). At the same time though there were plenty of things that were academic and/or mature that you could do.

Jamie

After awhile campus life feel very home like and the atmosphere is like being with family. Living in the dorms is comfortable yet allows room for privacy. Being with friends is awesome. there is so much to do. There are hundreds of activities to become involved with. The most popular sport is mens basketball. Many go out and support the guys, even painting their faces with our black and gold colors. Friends are the BEST part of college life. They are like a support system, basically a family! I met my closest friends in the student commons everyday. We first met each other in class. After a while we became more open and began to get to know each other better. The weekends were so much fun. We partied sometimes and took advantage living the life in the city. We could party without drinking or drugs because we had each other. Campus was never boring.

Michael

VCU always has something going on. Whether it is a Thursday night dance party or a late Tuesday night working on homework you will be busy. In my dorm many people would leave there door open, in fact that is how i met some of my best friends from 8 floors below me. On weekends during the warmer months many people venture to belle isle which is a nice park off the James River.

Allison

At VCU you are bound to find a club that is going to appeal to your interest. There are also Greek fraternities and sororities if you were thinking about pledging. Social life is pretty big there are alot of things to do in Richmond and there are a slew of event that happen around VCU that are entertaining including parties, step shows, fashoin shows and many other events. Parties are cool, depends on which one you go to that you will really have fun. There are parties that happen in the University Commons that are pretty good and there are also night clubs around Richmond.

Paige

If you live off campus and work you really won't have time. Just get to know your teachers and counselors. Teachers and Counselors are key to a smoothe college experience.

Hannah

I met my closest friends through CHristian organizations like Every Nation Campus Ministries and Intervarsity Christian Fellowship.

Robyn

Popular organizations on campus would revolve around Greek Organizations (which focus a lot on academics, philanthropy efforts and community unity), SGA (which focuses on the school and it's happenings), and Philanthropy Organizations (such as Habitat for Humanity and S.A.V.E.S.). Some students in dorms leave their doors open. When I lived in the dorms my Freshman year of college, I would if I was in the room but otherwise I kept it locked. I was just brought up that way. I don't recall anything being stolen though from others when I lived in the dorms. Athletic events are quite popular. Mostly basketball which is our top sport. Guest speakers are becoming more popular. Usually the students who put themselves out there more are the ones who attend the speakers. They are getting better and better each year actually. As for the dating scene, I know that the scene is large because of the large population. As for me, I have been dating the same guy for the past 4 years (including part of high school) so I am not personally familiar with the dating scene myself. My sorority sisters though are not having too many problems with it though. :) I met most of my closest friends through Hillel and Alpha Epsilon Phi. They have really changed my life and have taught me many things that I doubt I would have learned if it wasn't for me putting myself out there and taking risks. If I were awake at 2am on a Tuesday I would probably being watching t.v. or surfing the internet. I know a lot of students do their hw and readings and papers at that time but I usually do that during the day and relax at night. It's better that way I think so you can have more time with friends. Traditions each year: Homecoming is fun (I was nominated for Homecoming Queen this past year) where we have a Chill-n-Grille and Basketball Game, the Healthy Relationships Fair which is hosted by S.A.V.E.S. (and was co-sponsored this past year by my sorority), and Sorority Rush which is always fun to participate in. As for partying, it depends. I would say I am not much of a partier. I'd say that I party about 3 or 4 times a month. It depends on the course load and activities I am involved in. Greek Life on campus is becoming a larger part of VCU because of their involvement in Campus Activities and Philanthropic Events. One misconception about Greek Organizations is that they drink a lot and aren't that great academically. In actuality, students who are in a Sorority or Fraternity have an overall GPA which is higher than the average student on campus, and no, we do not drink every weekend. We have so many other things to do than just that. On the weekends and throughout the week, we plan social events with other organizations, put together events for other students to attend, participate in campus games and attend concerts. We hang out with friends, watch movies, shop in Cary Town (great place by the way!) and just have fun. Off campus you can go to ShortPump Mall, ShockoeBottom, Walk around MayMont Park, take day trips to Washington D.C., Virginia Beach and Williamsburg. There is always something going on!

Andrew

Plenty to do in Richmond. Good bars, but also lots of sober activities like art shows.

Josh

I am a musician...I practice...That is my life. However, there are those around me that have no life with me, and therefore, can console my problems in the practice dungeons. I love this aspect about VCU because there are so many of them!

Eliza

The most popular organizations are the sports and fraternities and sororities. I met my closest friends from my social work classes. I am not the kind of person to be up late. My classmates always party. I spend my weekends with my boyfriend.

Caitlyn

The Social Life at VCU is extremely active. There is always something to do, and always someone with which to do it. The opportunities and choices in Richmond are endless. Whether you stay on-campus, or venture into the city, you hardly find yourself with nothing to do. Of course, you don't have to do anything. But you don't have to be bored, either. What's great about such a diverse Student Body is that this diversity spreads into the social scene. You don't have to go drinking when you go out on the weekends. There are always art exhibits or theater performances or basketball games. Richmond is also endowed with parks such as Maymont and Monroe Park. You could even venture to the James River and participate in water-sports. And you are never alone. No matter what interest you have or how you'd like to spend your time, chances are someone else is right on the same page. VCU dorms are very relationship-friendly, and students are encouraged to spend as much time with their peers as possible.

Andy

VCU Basketball games at the Seigel Center are awesome. They're a lot of fun and there's a lot of energy. A lot of people go to the Jame's River on the weekend, although it's not necessarily safe...or clean for that matter. On Fridays in the summer time there are free, outdoor concerts downtown where drinking is optional. Summers in Richmond can be fun if you can find the things to do that are free, or outside. There's a lot of history here, so any museum, or art gallery is always fun.

Jesse

Our fraternities,their step shows,our lovely fashion majors' fashion show,Intercultural festival and Block Party!!!!! Cycling,kayaking and hiking are the most favorite and famous sports on/off campus.

Andy

I am an older student and really don't partiscipate in activities or social life within VCU. I just come to attend classes and go home to my family of four children.

niki

There are a lot of sports that you can play just for fun... dodgeball, lacrosse, flag football... whatever. And there is plenty to do in the city.

Alex

The party scene is pretty sweet, and at VCU, Thursday is the new Friday. Thank god the weekend starts a day earlier now. Just make sure you don't schedule anything early on Friday morning. Greek life is amazing, there is always something going on but a lot of the time you have to be greek in order to participate. Basketball here is also a SUPER big deal, there is always a lot of black and gold in Siegal. Guest speakers exist but most only go if their organization sponsors it or they are forced to go.

Torry

Athletic events, men's basketball became very popular to go to my junior/senior year. Many frat/sorrority functions were advertised. I only attented a few frat parties that were laughable at times. there are many options for weekend entertainment that do not involve drinking. Since VCU is in the heart of the city, the options are pretty much limitless.

Andy

the most popular ones are based on religion. I am involved in SAVES which works with providing information on sexual assault and domestic violence issues. When I was in West Grace my freshan year we did, but after that we didn't. I haven't lived on campus in two years so I'm not sure anymore. Athletic events are popular to some and others don't care at all. guest speakers get a good crowd, usually between 50 and 250. The theater is somewhat popular. The dating scene is okay because we're in the city and have lots of places to go. My closest friends here I met in the dorms. If I'm awake on Tuesday then I'm online messing around or I'm wasted and being kicked out of Babe's (which isn't very often!). each year the best tradition is the multi-cultural festival. People party a lot here. Sororities are more popular, but frats are popular too. On normal weekends I have get togethers at my house or I work. I work, hang out with friends, baby sit or do homework. I love Babe's on Tuesday and Friday, Barcode on Sunday and Godfrey's on Wednesday.

Dennis

I am involved with a group that teaches all about health. Its a peer education group and it is essentially VCU students teaching VCU students about health and enabling them to make healthier decisions in college and in life. We don't have "dorms" at VCU. The only thing you do in a "dorm" is sleep. At VCU we have "Residence Halls". A lot more goes on in residence halls than in a regular dorm. A lot of programs go on that many times are educational, (sex jeopardy, resume building workshops, etc) and there are some that are just meant to help develop a community on the individual floors in the halls at VCU, to bring the residents closer together. This helps make on campus students get along, it makes them take pride in the building and makes it feel more like home where they will want to stay and return to at the end of the week or the end of the day.

Caroline

I am involved with Invisible Children, which I have found is a really incredible group and we have gotten a lot of amazing things done to benefit Uganda.

Madison

Basketball team is popular and Greek orgs. I'm in a Greek organization and it has helped me become a better leader and a better person. Closest friends are my sorority sisters and friends I met in class years ago. I'm sleeping at 2am. ICF every spring, greek week, vsa auction, fact events, homecomings, etc. i hope ppl party less often than i think they do. frats/sororities are important bc it brings ppl together of all sorts of backgrounds, ethnicities, races, etc and it basically forces them to interact. You'll end up losing the stereotypes, judgements, and prejudices of those ppl. Saturday night- movies, dinner, watching tv, reading, playing games (video games, card games, interaction games--twister, taboo, etc), just hanging out. I work, volunteer with my sorority, eat, sleep, and shop off campus.

Melissa

I think the most popular groups or organizations here on campus is the student organizations..because there are so many and they can be just about anything and everything. Greek life is actually quite a small {4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} here at VCU but you wouldnt think that since you see someone wearing letters almost everywhere. I am a part of alpha Kappa Delta Phi Sorority, Inc. which is an asian-american interest sorority. We are fairly new still, we've been chartered here and established for almost 2 years now and remain active in our school and its community. A lot of students who live in dorms leave their doors open, I know that i used to from time to time just because its more inviting for people to come get to know eachother than if youre door is always closed. Im not sure how popular other sports events are but the basketball games are pretty popular among students here. The dating scene is pretty much people date within their own groups of friends or say groups they are a part of. I met my closest friends through my sorority and also my roommate from sophomore year and i became really close as well. Another close friend was from high school and we happened to go to VCU together. If im awake at 2am on tuesday im probably either in the library doing work or studying or at home watching tv. Events that happen each year include the Intercultural Festival, homecoming, greek week, etc. I think a good amount of people party every weekend or every other weekend depending. Fraternities and sororities like i said is a small {4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} but i think they are important because not a lot of people know what we're really about or what we do. I went to NY last weekend as a part of spring break. You can go see a movie, go to the mall, hang out with friends on a sat. night if you dont want to drink. I usually go downtown with friends or i go shopping

Liz

the most popular... tough im a sorority member. we think we are the most popular. but we rep 4{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the population. im an Alpha Gamma Delta. we hold the highest cum gpa for three consecutive years. we raise over $2000 for our philanthropy every year which benefits juvenile diabetes. our sisterhood is tremendous. our chapter back lashes against every greek stereotype out there. then again i am a little biased. i loved in a suite style dorm we never left our doors open. theft is a hugs problem on our campus. basketball games are popular. i dont think we have even 10 percent attendance to any game. my closest friends are my sorority sisters and friends from the greek community awake at 2 am on tuesday... trying to sleep? last weekend i was in daytona on spring break. before that i was at an alumnae tea event for my sorority saturday night no drinking... um go to a movie? maybe stay in and not drink? everything is off campus...

Simon

The most popular groups are SGA or religious, or anti-religious. Oh, Sororities are huge, Frats less so. Sports are big. The dating scene SUCKS. There is NO ONE single. Everyone has a boyfriend or girlfriend "back home" and the ones that don't are sex crazed fiends. Maybe it's just me. There is LOADS to do though, on and around the campus- Carytown, Short Pump - but you NEED a car.

Michael

Student Government is really big at VCU. They are very interested in making VCU better, and they work hard to influence the administration and show them what the students want. Fraternities and Sororities are fast growing on campus too. I am involved with the Greek Life at VCU. Last semester I joined Sigma Alpha Epsilon, and that is one of the best decisions I think I have ever made. The guys in my fraternity are really great, and they are helping me mature. Greek Life here is very diverse, just like the school. So chances are, anyone who wants to be in a fraternity and wants to form those bonds, will be able to find the right fraternity to do that! Yes students leave their dorm room doors open. That is a GREAT way to meet people. This whole year, most of the time i'm in the room the door has been open, and I have met so many people. I highly recommend it. Basketball games are VERY popular. They almost always sell out and the student sections are almost always full. It helps when we have a team that almost always finishes near the top of our conference. VCU is a big arts school, so there are usually several plays running at the same time. Both Main stage and small stage plays. They are usually very entertaining. There are lots of opportunities for dates in and around VCU. There are a veritable horde of restaurants within the reach of a long walk or a short drive. And there are a few movie theatres around, along with Belle Isle and the James River to go hang out at. Also since VCU has over 30,000 students, there is a rather large dating pool to pull from. I met most of my closest friends from joining my fraternity and from sitting in the dorm room with the door open, and the guys from my floor walked in. Personally if I'm awake at 2 am on a Tuesday, I better be studying. Every spring semester we have our Homecoming. And before our homecoming game we have a MASSIVE tailgate called Chill and Grill which a blast. Most people get so wasted they don't remember half of it though. So that is always interesting if you're sober. If you look hard enough, someone is partying almost every single night... But the big party nights are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. Fraternities and Sororities are fairly important, and they are only growing in size and number. Right now about 3{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the student body is Greek. That's steadily growing though. Fraternities are generally the most consistent source of parties also. They have a few houses that are party houses nearly every week. Last weekend I hung out with some of my friends and went to the gym. And at night we went and partied with my fraternity. On any given weekend, there are tons of dance clubs you can go to, or you can go to a movie down in Carytown for $2. There are bowling allies, skating rinks and other fun places to go. There are even date parties occasionally.

Michelle

The most popular organizations are probably the Greek societies. The most popular team is definitely the men's basketball team. I'm the vice president of an organization called SIGGRAPH, which is a student chapter of a large special interest group for 3D graphics and animation. We meet every two weeks to discuss 3D graphics and animation. We also have movie nights. From what I've observed, most students who live in the dorms leave their doors open. The only ones who don't are those who live in Brandt hall, because it is suite styled with four rooms per suite. They have their own bathrooms and common rooms, so usually those students just keep to their own suite. Athletic events are probably the most popular of those three, but even they aren't that popular. If I am awake at 2am on a Tuesday night, I'm probably doing homework in my room. Every year we have homecoming in February, an Intercultural Fair in the spring, and events for freshman at the beginning of the year. It depends on the person, but my guess would be that there are students who party every weekend. Fraternities and Sororities are quite popular at VCU. They seem to be important, but most of them don't have their own houses. Last weekend I went to visit a friend at another school. You could go to the mall and the movies. I'm mostly off campus, since I live in an off campus apartment. I like to go shopping, but in order for a student to get to the mall, they'd need a car.

Bree

I could go on forever here. Basically, I loved being Greek at VCU and though we're a small percentage of students on campus that's what makes it so special! All the events you describe in this question are present at VCU and it's all great stuff. I think kids get more involved each year. And yes there are plenty of parties. I think being centrally located really helps activities at VCU. We're in the middle of the state and can get anywhere, to the beach, to the nation's capital, or to other colleges to visit friends. Downtown is a great scene too, drinking or not. Plenty of bars, but also plenty of festivals in the summer!

Maddie

I'd say the most popular are with the Greek Life, or SGA (student government) I'm in a sorority, We focus on community service and helping out the arthritis foundation. I dont live in the dorms I dont know, but when id id yes we left out doors wide open. The only athletic event that is somewhat popular is basketball. Dating scene???????????? I wish we had a dating scene I'm lonely. I met my closest friends in the dorms. I'm awake on a tuesday at 2am i probably either drank too much coffee during the day or I have a paper/exam. We have the multicultural festival, greek week, step show, Halloween walk. People party almost everyday of the week..sad huh? Sororities and fraternities are 3.6{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the undergraduate student population. We just have two new sororites and will be welcoming two more fraternities. The greek commuinty is growing. Last weekend, my sorority became a chapter and we signed our charter

Amanda

Muslim Student Association, various frats and sororities, Invisible Children, etc. I'm involved with the VCU Chapter of Habitat for Humanity. It's small because it just started out last year, but we've done a few really great fundraisers and I think the organization will continue to grow. Basketball games are a big deal, and yes freshman leave their doors open. Unless you live in Brandt, then you don't talk to anyone. LIVE IN JOHNSON! Sororities and Frats are a prescence, but because our school has a lot of art programs and a huge population, greek life only seems to account for about 10{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of students. Movies, restaurants, other cultural things are always going on if you don't like drinking.