The long-awaited return of Winthrop students to the campus environment marks the beginning of a new semester for Winthrop student organizations and clubs. In an unfamiliar age of social distancing and virtual instruction, many students crave opportunities to engage with one another and express themselves in a healthy environment. Winthrop arts and culture clubs like Improv This! and Friday Arts Project are adapting to COVID-19 protocol and will continue to operate and ensure that students still have these opportunities.
“Yes we are!” answered an Improv This! social media manager enthusiastically when asked if their club would still be active during the experimental Fall semester. “We are doing Zoom meetings until we have in–person classes. When we go to in–person, we will have 6 foot markers in the acting studio. We will also have a limit on how many people are allowed to attend.”
Improv This! is a student organization focused on providing enjoyable games and activities based around improv, a theatrical technique where actors aren’t given lines and invent their characters around spontaneous dialogue. The club is designed to be accessible and fun for all majors, regardless of skill level. The club doesn’t have any major events planned yet, but they currently still intend to hold theme nights for some in-person meetings.
Although some clubs will gradually return to in-person gathering, others are choosing to remain active through virtual platforms such as Zoom, like the Friday Arts Project.
“We are continuing to operate this year, although primarily online,” said the organization’s social media manager and Winthrop alumni, Brandi Fox. “…While we look forward to again gathering in person, we have found that the change of venue has opened the door to connect out-of-town artists into our community as both participants and guest speakers.”
The staff evaluates health and safety of returning to in-person meetings on a month-to-month basis with consideration of CDC and university guidelines, as well as local and regional mandates. The club is an arts organization dedicated to fostering a helpful and rewarding environment for artists and art appreciators in the Rock Hill community.
“Our club works in conjunction with the local arts nonprofit by the same name to foster and curate conversations to call forth a more fully human community,” said Fox. “Or more simply, we think art can make humanity better so we want to make it and discuss it together.”
The organization’s biggest events for the semester include virtual artist talks and film discussions, a special sketchbook giveaway, and a live conversation with author Daniel Nayeri regarding his newest book, Everything Sad is Coming Untrue. The organization also manages an art gallery in downtown Rock Hill that is currently open for small viewings.
Despite the unusual and constricting circumstances being faced by the Winthrop community, students and organizations are still inventing new methods to continue experiencing college life to the fullest while still staying safe. Students who are interested in joining these clubs can contact the organizations via email at improvthis@winthrop.edu and friartsproject@gmail.com. They can also be found on Instagram at @wuimprovthis and @fridayartsproject.
Photo by Olivia Esselman
