The University of Minnesota has about 700 student groups, each one with a distinct identity and purpose.  It takes only five students, $25 and a University e-mail address to start a group, and this campus has a group for nearly every category of personal interest.  These five groups were among many that recruited new students at a Welcome Week event in Mariucci Arena over the weekend.

Category: Health and Wellness

Group Name: Student Network for Abuse Prevention (SNAP)

Officers: Andrea Ahneman and Maira Rosas-Lee

SNAP members volunteer as peer educators on alcohol, tobacco and drug prevention affiliated with the BACCHUS Network.  They teach students how to be safe and healthy in their habits while offering volunteers a chance to make a difference and gain leadership skills.

Category: Political and Social Action

Group Name: College Republicans at the University of Minnesota

Chairman: Phil Troy

This group of like-minded students has weekly meetings to discuss current events, listen to guest speakers and support Republican candidates. According to Troy, the group has about 125 active members.

Category: Religious

Group Name: International Student Outreach (ISO)

Officer: Chin Wah Teo

ISO assists foreign students with the transition into an American lifestyle by arranging anything from host families to American cell phones to trips to the Minnesota State Fair. 

Category: Special Interest and Hobby

Group Name: U-Swing

President: Lesley Darsnek

U-Swing offers students the chance to practice swing dancing during their Wednesday night meetings.  They have 25 regular members and do not require partners for their practices, but they do endorse dancing at bus stops.

Category: Sports Clubs and Recreation

Group Name: University of Minnesota Cycling Team (UMCT)

Vice President: Ken Hum

UMCT partakes in all types of cycling, with both indoor and outdoor meetings.  They practice recreationally in the fall and compete in the spring to promote healthy lifestyles all year round.  The team has also won the North Central Collegiate Cycling Conference championship for the past ten years.