The University of Montana Western - Clubs and Organizations

Clubs and Organizations

Student Organizations

Note: The following clubs and organizations have received official Student Senate recognition, but may not be currently active. Contact the person or department listed for more information about any specific group, or the Student Senate Office, 683-7211.

Ambassadors: The Ambassadors club provides students with a unique opportunity to promote Western through college fairs, correspondence, phoning, campus tours, Dawg Days Campus Visitation programs, and high school visits. The club also sponsors a variety of campus activities. Contact Kathey Hupp 683-7283

Alpha Chi Honors Society: Alpha Chi is a select, national honor society open to the top 10% of juniors and seniors who have completed at least 30 credits at Montana Western. Invitations are extended on the basis of GPA; starting in the fall of 2008, nominations may also be made on the basis of faculty recommendation. For more information, please contact Dr. Sara Glasgow at 683-7204.

Baptist Collegiate Ministries: BCM is a Bible based club, and is and outreach of the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention but not just for Baptists. They will sponsor various social, outdoor, eating and movie activities throughout the year. They hold Sunday worship services for students and faculty who want to attend. They will hold meetings on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday nights. They offer free faith based total confidentiality counseling for students of any belief, about any matter. LIFE IS ALL ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS. Contact Michael Mhoon, 406-410-2969. www.dilloncollegiateministries.info

Biology Club: The Biology Club is open to all students and non-students who are interested in biological sciences and how they relate to the world today. Club activities include organizing the campus-wide Spring Research Symposium, helping k-12 students with science projects, and judging science fairs. The purpose of the club is to educate the campus and the Dillon community on biological issues, as well as to emphasize biological research that is taking place at UMW. Contact Dr. Mike Morrow 683-7254.

Brewing Club: The Brewing Club is an official student/ faculty organization of the University of Montana Western. The organization’s primary goals are to provide an outlet for individuals over the age of 21 to cooperatively brew wines and beers. Emphasis on scientific applications and procedures toward the fermentation process will be of utmost interest to the group. In addition to regularly scheduled meetings, the group will sponsor educational trips to local breweries and wineries. Local ingredients will be utilized to as much of a degree as possible; honey, barley, hops, fruits, and spring water.

Business Club: Comprised of students interested in business. Club objectives are social, as well as to provide an opportunity to learn leadership skills and develop future business relationships. Contact Shauna Basile, 683-7401.

Catholic Campus Ministry: An outreach of the Catholic Church, this group sponsors various social activities throughout the year, which all students are encouraged to attend. Watch for advertising. CCM meets every Tuesday, at 7:00 p.m., in the CCM Space. Contact Judy Siring, 683-2365.

Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship: Holds weekly worship services, Bible studies, social activities, seasonal retreats, and service projects on campus. Contact Nate Lant, 683-7771.

Draft Driving Club: The Draft Driving Club's purpose is to promote draft horse driving as an organized and standard sport. They would like to generate interest, understanding, appreciation, and vigilance of the Western way of life, culture and Western Affairs. They encourage the humane treatment of animals and would like to encourage students and community members to embrace activities of the west. Contact Rusty & Margaret Hebel 925-1222.

Equestrian Club: Founded in the fall of 2001, the team competes under the auspices, rules and regulations of the intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA), a recognized member of the USA Equestrian Federation. Members may have experience in the sport, or may be beginning horse enthusiasts. Participants may ride Western or English, and owning a horse is not required. The IHSA's competitions are affordable because individual colleges/universities host each event and provide the horses. This is not the only unique aspect of IHSA competitions, however. Riders are not allowed to use their own horses, and personal tack and schooling/warm ups are not permitted. For further information about the Equestrian Team and IHSA horse shows, contact faculty advisor Dr. John Xanthopoulous, 683-7018.

Gargoyles/Drama Club: Promote dramatic activity and familiarize members with the different phases of dramatic production. Membership is open to all students and to the public, regardless of drama experience. Activities in the recent past have included acting workshops, trips to New York City, and fundraising. Contact Larry Brazil 683-7038

Honors Club: The purpose of this organization shall be to facilitate the interdisciplinary learning through the Honors Program at UMW. The Honors Student Association may organize speakers, trips, lecture series, service- learning opportunities, etc. with the purpose of furthering student’s educational experience. Contact Eric Dyreson 683-7275

Humans In Performance: The purpose of HIP is to promote an appreciation of, commitment to, involvement in, and responsibility to the fields of health, physical education, recreation, and dance through involvement in club activities. Contact Megan Chilson, 683-7336.

Indian Club: Provides a gathering place for Western's American Indian students to share experiences, give each other support, and eat good munchies! The club is an equal opportunity club, and everyone is welcome to attend meetings and help with activities. Contact Dr. Michael Francisconi, 683-7328.

Industrial Technology Club: Available to all students interested in the fields of Industrial Technology, Industrial Arts, and Vocational Education. The primary focus is to offer the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of technology and vocation forums, as well as social activities. Contact Chris Guttenberg 683-7107.

International Club: The international club is to raise international awareness on campus. They provide foreign students with the opportunity to share their culture, organize events that promote multicultural education, and inform students about international opportunities that are available to them. Contact Bill Janus 683-7019.

Kappa Delta Pi: An international honor society in education, this club promotes excellence in and recognizes outstanding contributions to education, encourages professional growth, and honors achievement in educational work. Contact Mike Schulz, 683-7492.

Lambda Alliance: Lambda is for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender students, faculty, staff, and community members. The club is also open to straight supporters. Activities have included a movie series, guest speakers, and concerts. Contact Dr. Gary Lundy, 683-7307.

Montana Western College Democrats: The College Democrats pledge to support the candidates and philosophy of the Democratic Party and declares its intention to support all efforts to increase the participation of college students in Democratic affairs.

Montana Western College Republicans: Montana Western College Republicans make known and promote the principles of the Republican Party among the campus and community, aid in the election of Republican candidates at all levels of governments and develop political skills and leadership abilities among Republican students as preparation for future service by them to the party and community. Contact Brooke Erb 683-7211.

Music Club: The Music Club is open to all students interested in promoting musical activity on campus and in the community. Members attend music education conventions and workshops, present recitals, and participate in several other musical events throughout the year.

Polynesian Club: The purpose of the club is to promote awareness and understanding of Polynesian culture, specifically, music, dance, and drumming. Open to all members of the campus. Contact Dr. Judy Ulrich, 683-7422.

Psychology Club: The psychology club provides all UMW students the opportunity to participate in psychology related activities as well as to be a part of an organization that provides support and academic guidance for those students pursuing a career in the field of psychology. The psychology club also provides learning opportunities by sponsoring events that are open to all members of the campus community. Contact Dr. Mark Krank, 683-7547.
Rodeo Club: Provides support for the Western Rodeo teams and hosts several functions each year, including the Fall Horse Sale, Heritage Days, and helps with the Rodeo Team's Community Appreciation Banquet. Contact Iola "Olie" Else, 683-7539.

Ski Club: The UMW Ski club is an athletic based club that is focused on snow skiing and snow boarding. They are open to any student of the UMW campus and welcome the participation of the community. They provide the opportunity to get out and enhance your ski/ snowboarding skills or to learn how to ski/ snowboard. Contact Kathey Hupp, 683- 7283.

STAND Club: The mission of STAND is to empower individuals and communities with the tools to prevent and stop genocide. STAND will enhance the Montana Western campus community by organizing events that promote genocide education on campus and in the community, informing and aiding students in ways that they can help prevent and stop genocide, and informing students about opportunities such as attending National Anti Genocide conferences and rallies across the country. Contact Eric Wright, 683-7274.

Terra Verde: Terra Verde is the official student organization of the Department of Environmental Sciences at The University of Montana-Western. As such, the organization's primary mission is to provide an outlet for students at UMW who are interested in the natural world. The club participates in volunteer work with local agencies such as the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service in order to provide student's with field experiences in the environmental sciences during their academic tenure at UMW. In addition, the club sponsors educational field trips to local natural treasures such as Yellowstone National Park, Craters of the Moon, and Glacier National Park. Contact Linda Lyon, 683-7075.

Twisted Ink Club: To draw interest to the English department of UM-Western, we expanded on the old English poetry club, IGNU. Twisted Ink, (as we have chosen to rename the club), intends to promote creative writing amongst not only English majors and minors, but also those who have a love of writing. We publish a webzine two to three times a year, in which Western students can showcase their literary talents. Club members will be able to improve on and/or gain editorial skills in the process of editing and publishing manuscripts. Contact Dr. Diana Francis, 683-7102.
UMW Education Club at Tech: The UMW Ed Club at Tech is an outreach program for education students at the Montana Tech in Butte. Through this club education students can interact with other education students and network, as well as build contacts for the future. Contact Kathy Shipman 496-4852.

UMW Horseman's Club: The University of Montana Western Horseman's Club strives to promote and enhance the art of horsemanship. We seek to increase camaraderie between members of all horsemanship disciplines. Promoting interest, understanding, appreciation, and vigilance over the Western way of life, culture and Western affairs is one of our goals. We encourage the humane treatment of livestock while enjoying the art of horsemanship. We will work to increase and maintain the interest of college students and community members in the art of horsemanship and other activities of the west. We will sponsor activities that will help club members with educational and horsemanship goals. And we seek to foster good relationships with the University of Montana Western, the college community, and the communities of Dillon and Beaverhead County. Contact Nanette Chastine, 683-7030.

UMW Student Alumni Association: The Purpose of the UMWSAA is to bridge the gap between students, alumni, and the community of the University of Montana Western. They strive to instill pride in UMW and the community by developing opportunities to enhance knowledge, professionalism, and leadership. One goal of the UMWSAA is to increase the involvement, pride, and general moral on the UMW campus and within the Dillon Community. Contact Amberly Pahut, 683-7305.

Western Gaming Alliance: The purpose of this organization is to offer students of UMW and the surrounding community a chance to come together in an informal setting to enjoy a wide variety of gaming activities. Contact Dr. Sara Glasgow 683-7204.

W.R.A.P.S. (Western's Research Association for Paranormal Studies): We are the University of Montana Western's Research Association for Paranormal Studies. This club will enhance the University's campus and community by researching local and surrounding sites that may contain paranormal activity. Dedicated to learning and researching areas of paranormal phenomenon, our goal is to educate ourselves, as well as others, while maintaining professionalism in this unique field.