Cultivating a Healthy SPS Chapter through Alpacas and Social Activities
Xena Gurule, Autumn Durham, Ivey Davis, Nic Litza, Christine Bennett, Jesus Aguilar, Sanjna Mahobia, and Andy Mueller. Photo courtesy of Cameron Lamar.
While physics engagement is one of the main objectives of any SPS chapter, it is crucial that members occasionally take time to step away from physics. At the University of New Mexico (UNM), our chapter regularly gathers for activities outside of physics. As much as we all love and enjoy the subject, we admit that it can be taxing. This practice of stepping away refreshes our members and serves as a great tool for team building.
A few of our recent activities include visits to a local alpaca farm (Humming Desert Alpacas) and an experiential learning center, a science center called Explora. When visiting places like these, we do not go with the intention of sharpening our physics knowledge or developing skills to help us with our studies. We go to simply enjoy a new or stimulating experience and build friendships along the way. As busy as most physics students are, the experiences help to keep us happy and emotionally healthy. In addition, the friendships we build are invaluable.
During the pandemic it has proven more important than ever to use SPS as a means of social interaction, but getting members involved can be difficult. The UNM chapter has found great success by continuing to host a place for students to socialize via regular game and movie nights—our Discord server. Because of this, we have seen daily engagement from many members and had more people run for officer positions than ever before. Especially in this online setting, we have found that taking time to step away from physics together is beneficial for the health of the chapter and its members.
