Clubs, clubs, clubs! Did you know that Arc oversees the management of not just some, but ALL of the 300+ Clubs on campus.
Bookings, inquiries and everything in between. Arc’s Clubs Office is a well-oiled machine of phone-calls, banter and the occasional complaint.
Under the watchful eye of the infamous Shiv; Louis, Tracey and Yousef ensure that your favourite Club can BBQ, bake sale and bank some much needed cash.
Ready to be convinced to splurge his much-needed spare change on a Club he will never actually become involved with, Will sat down with one of the trio, Tracey, to talk all things Clubs.
Tracey! Can you start by telling me a little bit about yourself? What do you study? When you aren’t locked in the Clubs Space what will I find you doing?
I’m going into 5th year Psychology/Law which is pretty wild! You’ll probably find me spamming coins on a Wizard of Oz machine at Timezone or an arcade because I’m lowkey an arcade gambler/addict haha. My resolution this year is also to become one with the ocean so I’m trying to learn how to surf! I also want to learn more things about what’s really affecting our world so you’ll probably find me at more protests/rallies this year!
You work with Louis and Yousef Clubs & Grants Officers. What does a Clubs & Grants Officer actually do? Why do we need three of you?
CGOs advise clubs on the correct forms and procedures they have to know about to run their club successfully. We have over 300 clubs so there definitely needs to be 3 of us!
Why are you passionate about Clubs at UNSW? Are you active members of any Clubs at UNSW? Where you apart of any cults or communes as children?
I’ve personally gotten a lot of personal development from clubs. I’m not currently an active member of any club, but I used to be heavily involved with Law Revue. It was such a great club to be involved in and it is definitely something I never saw myself doing – directing a Revue, but that’s the thing about Clubs – you often end up doing so much more than you ever think you’re capable of.
You must deal with some quirky clubs. What are some of your favourite weird and wonderful ones?
Robogals is really cool one – encouraging girls into engineering and STEM through robotics workshops! One of the newest societies is the Italian Society – they went around O-Week taking selfies with a Mario and Luigi outfit which was hilarious
Are there any parts of the job that you love? How about things you wish you didn’t have to do?
I love interacting with the different clubs and people who come into the Club Office. It’s also fun to do all the nitty gritty stuff – checking the Constitutions line by line, checking if Clubs are complying with Arc rules etc. (not sarcasm haha). Probably the most tedious task is emails
Why should I bother joining a Club? There are so many, where do I even begin?
OF COURSE! There’s so much variety out there, there’s definitely something for everyone. First thing to do is to sign up to spArc and pick up a clubs booklet here in the Clubs Office!
People always seem to be stressed out when it comes to Clubs. What should someone do the next time a form isn’t submitted on time or they feel some Club-related rage?
Take a breather, it’ll all be okay! We understand students and how busy we are all, so don’t worry too much! I guess with the rage – remember there are over 300 Clubs we’ve got to manage, we promise we’ll get to you and you’re important!
You have just been through O Week. How many Clubs participated? How are you feeling now?
O-Week was insane, but I’ve always loved seeing everyone come together to help first years with their uni experience.
If someone wants to start a Club how do they get the ball rolling?
Firstly, congrats! We’re glad you have such an awesome idea and commitment to start a club! Hop onto the Clubs Handbook and it’ll have all the information you need! Generally, you need to have an Introductory General Meeting first to get the ball rolling!
Want more information on Clubs @ UNSW? You're in luck. Start your Clubs journey HERE.
