New Student Organizations Share Their Stories

Photo | Top row: SPACE Club, Russian Club, Ethics Society. Bottom Row: Book Club, Birders

James Ryan Prizant ’29
prizantjry@lakeforest.edu
Copy Editor

Since the beginning of the 2026-27 academic year, several student organizations have popped up hoping to host events with large turnouts and increase their membership totals. From cultural clubs, to empowerment groups and even nationally competitive organizations, there is much to be said about every new student-run group, all of which hope to expand in the upcoming academic year.

Book Club

Book Club provides just what one might expect: a community of people interested in reading and meeting to discuss the latest book, announced monthly by President and Founder Esther Mbandeka. For April, the club is reading “If Cats Disappeared from the World” by Genki Kawamura. Its protagonist is a dying man who is given a week to remove one thing from the earth in exchange for one more day to live, hence the title.

Mbandeka used her friend group’s book club as a springboard to start an official College book club. Regarding club members, Mbandeka is dedicated to “rewrinkling your brain,”  now with the bonus of a catering budget.

“[Reading] is something everybody should be doing; it’s your due diligence as a human,” Mbandeka said. “There’s a lot of ways for people to get information really quickly, so people don’t really read as much [anymore]. I wanted to create a space where people get to read firsthand information and form their own thoughts.”

Black Men’s Association

Due to the downfall of the Black Men’s Group, Founder and President Payton Ross created the BMA. This empowerment group acts as a space to connect the College’s diverse Black male population, separate from BMG, and with an emphasis on “chillness.”

“Yes, there are serious conversations and serious topics that need to be handled…but we as BMA, we just want to enjoy each other’s company and play a game or two,” Ross said.

Though the club had trouble with its executive board’s communicational efficiency around its development in November, Payton believes that the success and turnout of the Family Feud event with Black Women’s United shows promise for BMA.

“That [turnout] was beautiful to see,” Ross said. “I’m just ready to see more events [with] that level of attendance.”

Ross added that, though membership is restricted to Black male students, others are encouraged to attend public events.

Lake Forest College Bird Alliance

Many bird species live on campus — robins, blue jays, sparrows, cardinals, juncos, and even waxwings and nuthatches. Junior Trinity Contreras, founder and president of the LFCBA, was determined to “get students interested in birds and excited to go outside and see nature” from the very start of the school year.

“[In] August…I just filled everything out,” Contreras said. “I just had all the ducks in a row, no pun intended.”

The club even partners with non-profit organizations like the Lake County Audubon Society to organize more ambitious and interactive club events. The most recent one, “Raptors on Campus,” was a collaboration with Northern Illinois Raptor Rehab & Education, bringing raptors — hawks, owls, kestrels — to campus. More events like this and beyond seem to be in store for the LFCBA next year.

“Bird-walks, social events, informational programs, those are all gonna stay the same,” Contreras said. “Something I really want to do is a movie night and watch ‘Rio’ and ‘Storks.’

Lake Forest College Ethics Society

Originally the “Ethics Bowl,” the LFCES is not just about competing but also about dialogues regarding ethics.

“The goal of my club is to foster ethical discussion between students and get students to critically engage in ethical philosophy both ideologically and in the real world,” Founder and President Preye Indiamaowei said. “It’s a debate club, primarily.”

Inspired by a similar organization at her previous institution, the Harper College Ethics Bowl, Indiamaowei felt inspired to start one at the College. She hopes to greatly expand the club’s activities in the upcoming year. These include a public event, a collaboration with the College’s Ethics Center, an Instagram account and continuing to compete nationally for the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics.

“[Last semester] we placed 9th out of 20 teams [in the] Upper Midwest Regional Competition,” Indiamaowei said. “I’m hoping that in addition to prepping for [the next] competition, we can have maybe one or two events throughout [next] semester and the academic year as well.”

Russian Language & Culture Club

This group shares all things Russian and Slavic. Registered in February, it is run by Founder and President Jacob Shternberg, a Russian-speaking sophomore. Their events often feature traditional catering — fish, pickles, kefir, bread rings, priyaniki cookies, etc. While you eat, you can watch classic Soviet-era films, paint matryoshkas (Russian nesting dolls), or quiz yourself on some Russian trivia.

“What I hope to achieve is increased cultural literacy at Lake Forest College,” Shternberg said. “Another [goal] is to bring the Russian-speaking community of Lake Forest College together.”

From the food, to the activities and even the Russian-speaking club members, everything at the RLCC exemplifies Russian culture. The club has even adorned a mascot: a fluffy Soviet children’s character named Cheburashka, who represents a sense of community and friendliness.

“It’s really the symbol of a wholesome childhood and of community development, doing good deeds, and making new friends,” Shternberg said. “It’s a great symbol to have for a club like ours.”

Supportive Progress and Connective Environment

The SPACE organization dedicates itself to comfort, human connections and personal social improvement. Founder and President Diya Shin wanted to create a place for introverted students like herself where they could feel safe and happy.

“In my first year [at the College], I always had trouble finding a community that I’m comfortable in,” Shin said. “The goal of the club is to provide students with a stress-free environment where participation is not required, and they can communicate in their own comfort zone.”

Since the club’s creation in October, its executive board has focused on getting the word out about SPACE. With the 2026 fall semester approaching, they hope to connect students to campus resources by building the social confidence of its members.

“We wanted to act as a bridge where we can help them connect, however they are comfortable,” Shin said. “After that, we are hoping that the students take initiative.”