JCU Undergraduate Bulletin 2005-2007: Student Life & Services -- Other Involvement Opportunities

Other Involvement Opportunities

Publications

Student publications include the student newspaper, The Carroll News, the university yearbook, The Carillon, and the literary magazine, The Carroll Review. Students are encouraged to work on more than one publication. An important adjunct to these publications is the photography done by their respective student staffs. Opportunities for participation in the editorial and business management of student publications are available to all undergraduates.

Intercollegiate Debate

The John Carroll Debate Society provides students an opportunity to participate in intercollegiate debate competition. The debaters travel extensively to major tournaments throughout the United States and have an enviable record of success in national and regional competition. In addition to major national invitational tournaments and regional tournaments, the teams also participate in novice and junior varsity competition. Interested students, including those without previous experience, are invited to join and learn how to debate.

WJCU-FM

Students interested in broadcasting have the opportunity to join the staff of noncommercial radio station WJCU. The station format is an eclectic mixture of music styles, JCU sports broadcasts, and a variety of news and informational programs. Operated primarily by students, the station offers relevant training for students who may be planning careers in radio and an interesting broadcast experience for all participants. Trainee sessions are held at the beginning of each semester. WJCU (88.7 FM) is heard throughout the Greater Cleveland area.

Theatre

The Little Theatre Society provides theatre experience for students interested in various phases of dramatic production. Open tryouts are held for performances given several times each academic year. The facilities include the Marinello Little Theatre and Kulas Auditorium. Participation in the Little Theatre Society may lead to membership in Alpha Psi Omega, a national theatre honorary society.

Lectures

Students may acquaint themselves with a wide spectrum of viewpoints and topics by attending lectures given on campus by distinguished scholars and public figures. Some of these lectures, such as the Tuohy Interfaith Series, are designed to supplement the work of the regular courses of instruction; others, such as the Woodrow Wilson Lecture Series, open new fields of learning not covered by formal courses or provide commentary on vital current issues. In spring 2005 alone it was possible to hear, among many others, former U.S. poet laureate Robert Pinsky, author and women's advocate Gwendolyn Mink, and Irish political activist Gerry Adams.

Music: Choir, Band, Organ

The choir and band activities on campus provide a wealth of opportunities for musically inclined students. The university sponsors the University Concert Choir, Schola Cantorum, JCU Mad*Jazz, Cecilia Singers, Chapel Ensemble, Concert Band, Jazz Band, and Pep Band. In addition, students may join the JCU Gospel Choir

The Louise Mellen organ, one of the very few Spanish-style pipe organs in the United States, is located in Saint Francis Chapel. Built in Brussels by Patrick Collon, it provides a rare and quality instrument for the proficient or student organist. The Mellen Organ Concert Series features both international and U.S. artists.

Athletics

John Carroll University has traditionally stressed the importance of athletics as an integral part of the total development of students. With updated sports facilities, a strong, organized athletic program, and recreational opportunities of many kinds, all John Carroll students have the opportunity to participate in recreational and organized physical activities. The university also provides physical education classes and an active intramural/fitness program to meet the needs of its students at all levels of physical activity. John Carroll is committed to providing means for students to develop both minds and bodies.

The university first participated in intercollegiate athletics in 1916 and was a member of the President's Athletic Conference from 1955 to 1989. Since 1989, John Carroll has been a member of the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC), after previously departing that conference in 1949. Founded in 1902, the OAC is the third oldest conference in the United States.

John Carroll University currently sponsors intercollegiate competition in 21 sports. The men's intercollegiate programs are football, soccer, indoor and outdoor track, cross country, basketball, swimming and diving, wrestling, baseball, golf, and tennis. Intercollegiate competition for women includes volleyball, swimming and diving, basketball, tennis, cross country, golf, indoor and outdoor track, soccer, and softball.

The Athletic Department oversees the Club Sport programs, which offer opportunities for students to compete against other colleges and universities. Students organize all club sports. Men's ice hockey, crew, and women's lacrosse have coaches, while men's lacrosse, men's volleyball, men's and women's rugby, skiing and snowboarding, sailing, and karate are student-led.

The intramural program provides competitive opportunities for approximately 1,500 students. Offerings include flag football, racquetball, inner-tube water polo, tennis, soccer, "Chicago style" softball, volleyball, wrestling, men's and women's basketball, golf, bowling, and dodgeball.
The Recreation Department offers a wide variety of fitness and dance classes to students, faculty, and staff. There are opportunities to participate in kickboxing, step aerobics, toning, yoga, hip-hop dancing, swing dancing, and pilates.

The campus athletic facilities include the Johnson Natatorium, which has both a swimming and diving pool, an electronic timing system, and a pool surface ripple machine. The Tony DeCarlo Varsity Center was refurbished in 2002 and includes a varsity gym with a seating capacity of 1,300. The center also contains a wrestling room, equipment room, full training and rehabilitation room, as well as the offices of the Athletic Department. The Recreation Center provides additional facilities: two all-purpose courts for basketball, volleyball and tennis, three racquetball courts, an indoor banked running track, and locker facilities.

The addition of the Ralph Vince Fitness Center, dedicated on February 23, 1991, has rounded out the recreational opportunities for all students, staff, and faculty. Cybex and free weight equipment offer state of the art fitness and weight-training settings. Stairmasters, life cycles, treadmills, and cross trainers offer a variety of opportunities for cardiovascular improvement.

The outdoor facilities consist of the Don Shula Football Stadium, Wasmer Field, Bracken Softball Field, Schweikert Baseball Field, and tennis courts. The outdoor complex contains soccer and football practice fields, which also serve as multipurpose outdoor recreation areas. The Don Shula Stadium, which opened in fall 2003, is home to the Blue Streak football, soccer, and track teams. The stadium includes offices, locker rooms, a weight training facility, and the Don Shula memorabilia room. The stadium has a seating capacity of 6,000, and Wasmer Field has a modern "Astroplay" playing surface. Adjoining the stadium are three tennis courts, which are used for intercollegiate, instructional, and recreational play.