How RSOs are handling the lockdowns

What Registered Student Organizations are doing to thrive and grow despite COVID restrictions.

This week, The Ledger reached out to several Registered Student Organizations to see how they are doing this quarter, their plans for the upcoming quarters in light of continued lockdown and to teach students how to get involved. 

With COVID measures still in effect, and students’ abilities to organize in person limited, we thought we would keep students updated on a few RSOs, and potentially how to stay involved. 

Many, but not all, RSOs were severely impacted by the new regulations in response to the pandemic. 

“COVID has been kind of a game-changer in a lot of ways,” said the Vice President of the Progressive Student Union, Ronan Houston.

Other RSOs saw some of their ambitions thwarted due to COVID. The Multicultural Association of Pre-Health Students also faced some roadblocks.

 “We had ideas to organize some events that never came to fruition due to the pandemic worsening,” said Summer Turnberg, Vice President of MAPS. 

“COVID has made it hard for us to meet for sure,” said Turnberg. “We all have zoom and computer fatigue. Last Quarter, we were really excited to have so many events but by the end of the quarter, us and our members were so exhausted it became really difficult to continue forward with events.” 

Not every RSO is facing the same difficulties. Pup Support, an RSO focused on providing mental health services, did not share the same concerns as others.

“I believe COVID-19 was the best time to launch this RSO, because we are fully digital,” the President of Pup Support, Yuna Park said. “By this I mean, digital support may be the only type of support some people can access at this time.” 

Park said they didn’t feel that COVID had been a nonfactor. Like most RSOs, the in-person experience has been taken from them. 

“It is a bit upsetting to not be able to meet my team in-person,” she said

Despite these difficulties, many RSOs are still working to stay active on campus. MAPS plans on hosting more professional workshops featuring a pharmacist, a physical therapist and a researcher. 

“We are really trying to make sure everyone feels included no matter how new they are to UWT, what major they are in, or what their specific needs are,” Turnberg said.

 Houston said they’re always thinking of ways to support local progressive candidates. One of the ways they do so is by supporting Tacoma Housing Now, an organization that helps the homeless.

“[They’ve] been bringing attention to Tacoma’s homeless population and [have] been helping them find places to stay during the winter,” Houston said. 

Despite COVID-19 restrictions, many RSOs are still operating and looking for new students to join and lend a helping hand.