On campus, there are a variety of student clubs that students can get involved in as a way to make friends or further pursue hobbies and skills, including WIBI A cappella group and the Anime and Manga Association (YAMA). In addition, students can find groups within their department, such as the Music Education Students Association at York (YMESA).
Mathilda Roy, the Vice President of External Affairs at WIBI and second-year cinema and media arts major, explains that, “WIBI A cappella is a student-run group composed of members from across different faculties of York that share a love of singing and music.”
“We are Canada’s longest running collegiate a cappella group — next year marks our 35th anniversary. Before the pandemic hit, we were part of many competitions and were even International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA) semi-finalists. We regularly perform at York’s orientation and other functions such as weddings and fundraisers,” says Roy.
WIBI also offers members the chance to explore different opportunities, and recently released their first EP on September 2nd.
Alina Lariviere, the President of YAMA and a fourth-year business and society student, says that while the group is particularly interested in anime and manga, they “stretch to related mediums such as video games, art, and pop culture. We also welcome those with a variety of other interests such as board games, tabletop games, figure collecting, and more.”
“Our club provides a stable social hub for students who want to take a break from the daily grind of student life and watch some anime, play some games, or go to events like karaoke nights together. Both online and offline, we provide students with a respite from academic stresses where they can have fun and create lasting support systems. We’ve even created an optional second Discord server, WAM+ where women and LGBTQ+ members can socialize on a smaller scale until they’re comfortable enough to participate in larger YAMA events. YAMA is a safe space for all students to share in the joy of a common interest,” continues Lariviere.
There is a plethora of student groups on campus open to everyone as a great opportunity to meet others from a different department or faculty. However, there are also many student-run groups operating within different majors, such as YMESA.
“YMESA provides opportunities, workshops, and information to students who are pursuing a path in music education by helping students build a strong application for teacher’s college, connect them to educators and, overall, help them become successful in what they want to pursue. Our club was formed in hopes to cater and help the demographic of music students that are often ignored: those pursuing music education,” says Sadaf Sohrab, a fourth-year music student and president of YMESA.
“Our club feels that by creating this space by involving various members of the York community, we are able to create a positive impact on the York community and help all students achieve success,” adds Sohrab.
Follow the links to learn more about WIBI, YAMA, or YMESA. For information about some of York U’s other clubs, click here.
