Finding Community on Campus with CHAARG
In high school, I was super involved with just about every type of extracurricular; I cannot remember a day where I didn’t have some practice or rehearsal to get to. When I got to college, however, I struggled at first with finding my niche. I wanted something new, and had no clue where to even start. I was intimidated by reaching out and finding activities in a new environment, so I did not really explore my freshman year. Sophomore year, I was determined to make a change and get more involved on campus by attending the involvement fair. Here, I found CHAARG – a health and fitness club geared towards empowering women in the gym.
The club attends weekly workouts across Chicago in different studios, ranging from CrossFit to Aerial Yoga. I knew from the sample workout that I had found my own community at DePaul. Everyone is excited to try something new, stay active, and make friends, so the entire workout feels positive and inclusive. It was so refreshing to challenge myself in a supportive environment. Beyond this, membership includes socials and small groups, giving me something to look forward to every quarter.
This is my official fourth quarter of being a member of CHAARG and I honestly could not be happier. It is a consistent highlight of every week for me where I get to see some of my favorite people. I never expected to join a workout-based club, since I am so used to doing my own thing at the gym, but I am endlessly grateful that I did. CHAARG has made me so much more confident in going outside my comfort zone.
I have been loving the different studios we travel to weekly, so I am stoked to see where else we end up this year. I am ready for the challenge! I definitely recommend CHAARG to anyone who wants to try something new and find future friends. And my key advice about finding your best fit for clubs on campus? Remember to go to the involvement fair and get a taste of everything DePaul has to offer!
– Breanne K