College is a time for self-discovery and exploration since it brings young people just emerging from their parents home into the real world into contact with ideas and behaviors they have never seen before. College students may be seen as a single group by the public at large, but they represent an incredibly diverse group of people from all walks of life, possessing a great variety of interests and talents. I propose that it is this diversity which is responsible for the great prevalence and success of niche groups and communities on college campuses.

Penn State, as my school, is the most likely source of evidence I can draw on to support my claim. With around 1,000 student run clubs and organizations, there truly seems to be a group for every imaginable activity. From clubs dedicated to community service, to sports teams, to the board game club and the video game club, there is no limit to the students ability to support clubs of all varieties. In this post, I would like to bring attention to some of the less well-known, yet nonetheless quite intriguing, clubs on campus.

3D Printing Club– Yes, Penn State has a club dedicated to promoting the art and science of 3D printing. In addition to training members in the operation (and construction) of 3D printers, this club provides a service to the University Community by printing parts by request, for a small fee. The club is said to have access to several dozen 3D printers, most of which they have constructed. They have, quite ingeniously, figured out how to use 3D printing to produce the required parts for building more 3D printers. This club is certainly one of the most unique and interesting clubs I have ever heard of.

Clown Nose Club– A somewhat recognizable club around campus (although not necessarily universally recognized by the students), this club promotes spreading happiness through positive social risks. They wear red clown noses to help break down social barriers, and make people more comfortable engaging them in conversation. I have witnessed members of this club show up at OTHER clubs meetings to appreciate the club, have seen them hanging positive, uplifting messages on walls, and even recall  a day when they were “ambushing” people passing by the HUB with a giant group of clowns throwing compliments at people. While seemingly odd on the surface, I think this club is pretty cool.

Comic Book Club– A prime example of a type of club which might only be found on a college campus, this club promotes, well, comic books. I have never attended a meeting, so all of my information is second-hand, but I have heard that this club discusses and shares comics at their meetings, as well as plays card games such as “Magic.” Indeed, there is a comic book store in downtown state college, which I imagine is somehow involved with the comic book club. I have visited this store, and was overwhelmed by the number of available comics and related merchandise. While never a big comic buff myself, I can appreciate how strong of an interest this must be for some college students to support such a business.

Penn State, and colleges in general, are full of amazing and interesting clubs. Here I have described only three clubs, but they are simply the tip of the iceberg of clubs available at Penn State. For a full list of clubs available at all Penn State campuses, be sure to visit http://www.clubs.psu.edu/ Perhaps you will be surprised to find your favorite hobby already has a club available to join on campus!