The biology club has over 100 members, including president Megan Erickson.

The University of Saskatchewan’s Biology Club offers a wide array of academic, practical and social activities.

“We do study sessions, we have exam files for [students] to look at and we put on events like pub crawls and bowling with the profs… fun stuff for the students to get to know each other,” said club president Megan Erickson.

Boasting over 100 members, the club is open to any U of S student who is currently enrolled in or has taken a biology class. Erickson says the club’s membership is primarily, but not exclusively, students majoring in the subject.

On Oct.15, 20 and 21, the club will be travelling to Osler, Sask. to research Northern Sawwhet owls. The club catches the owls in mist nets, which are strips of nylon mesh suspended between two poles at a high altitude. The nets allow the club to capture the birds without injuring them.

“We take measurements of their wingspan and how old they are and we weigh them,” Erickson said. “It’s really fun.”

The club plans to host several fundraisers in the first term, including a Halloween pub crawl on Nov. 1 and a burger and beer night on Nov. 21.

In term two, the club will help organize Bioscan, a three-day science fair organized by the division of science in the College of Arts and Science. The annual event invites local elementary school groups to experience hands-on biology displays, films, guided tours, guest speakers, scavenger hunts and research exhibitions. This year’s event was held March 9–11 in the Biology Building and had nearly 600 people in attendance.

“It’s fun for kids to look around and see what they can do as a biologist,” Erickson said.

The club’s most high-profile event is the annual Kenderdine Commemorative Gala. The black-tie fundraiser aims to support students affected by the closure of the Emma Lake Kenderdine campus. After operating for 77 years, university administrators decided to close the facility in November 2012 due to operating costs. The satellite campus is slated to remain closed until 2016.

U of S students pursuing an honours degree in biology are required to complete a two week fieldwork course that was previously offered at the Kenderdine campus. The course is currently being run out of Kinasao, Sask., but Erickson says the facilities are inferior to those at Kenderdine.

This year’s gala was held on March 7 at the Radisson Hotel and featured keynote speakers Ric Driediger and Paul Trottier as well as live musical entertainment. Erickson is optimistic that the club’s advocacy will shorten the facility’s closure.

“There have been whispers that the interim president is wanting to bring back the Kenderdine campus,” Erickson said.

In her fifth year of biology, Erickson says the club is a great place to meet people with common interests.

“We’re kind of nerdy but we’re a lot of fun,” Erickson said. “We have a lounge where you can hang out between classes. Everybody gets to know each other.”

The club has weekly meetings every Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. in Biology 248.

Students can contact the U of S biology club online at usask.ca/biology/bclub or by emailing biology.club@usask.ca.

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Photo: Katherine Fedoroff/Photo Editor