To get a fuller picture, check out the the Club Fair on September 3 and 4. As you stroll down the Grande Allée and through the Agora at the Jock Turcot University Centre (UCU), you’ll see tables for all kinds of clubs. Why not stop, take in the colourful signs and meet some friendly faces?
1. uOttawa Theatre Club
Missing the stage productions of your high school days? Good news: the theatre club can fill that void! Every year, it puts on two plays (one in English and one in French) and a musical, its biggest show of the year. Longing to be on stage? Prefer to be in the audience? Either way, there’s a role for you in this club.
“We’re proud to be the perfect place for anyone looking to discover the theatre. Whether you’ve been involved in theatre since you were five or you’re new to the scene, all are welcome in the uOttawa Theatre Club!”
- Nicole Sun, third-year chemistry and philosophy student
- Jacob Dykstra, second-year accounting student
- Charlie Jacques, fourth-year finance student
- Renée Ryan, second-year political science and Juris Doctor (JD) student
2. Swimming With a Mission (S.W.A.M.) Ottawa
Is there a special place in your heart for The Little Mermaid, Finding Nemo or even “Baby Shark” (doo doo doo doo doo doo)? Then join S.W.A.M. — you can give accessible, inclusive swimming lessons to kids with disabilities, helping them discover the joys of being in the water. By choosing to volunteer your weekends, you’ll be sharing skills, happiness and hope. And you’ll be helping your pupils chase their dreams!
“We bring together community service and inclusion to make a real difference in a unique environment: the pool! One of our longtime participants, Louis, proudly swam 500 metres using the skills he learned through our program. It was a really touching reminder of the impact we can have.”
- Gabby Tiangco, fourth-year health sciences student
3. uOttawa Esports
Who says video games are just a distraction? At uOttawa, over 2,000 students get together at the Gaming Hub (MRT 144) to play, unwind, flex their creativity or train for competitions. You could join one of the uOttawa teams competing in games like Valorant or Call of Duty, enter national and international tournaments or register for Pandamonium, a three-day showdown against Carleton. It’s a highlight of the club’s events calendar each year!
“We offer everything from casual gaming nights to competitive teams, livestream events, creative content production, and networking opportunities with industry professionals. Through partnerships with organizations like Red Bull and NECC [the National Esports Collegiate Conference], we give students access to real-world esports experiences right on campus.”
- Scarlett Montserrat Sanabria-Ramos, third-year nursing student and co-president of uOttawa Esports
4. Avid Readers Club
Do you devour a book in one day? Is slowly savouring it over several months more your style? Love literature, poetry and debates? Well, this club has something for you! It offers murder mystery nights for devotees of detective stories, Smash Your Book sessions to chat about books from a diverse range of cultures, monthly book recommendations and open-mic nights for poets, musicians, slam artists, comedians and more.
“We’re a small club, and that’s what makes us special. We provide a friendly environment where everyone feels welcome from the moment they walk in the room. So if you want to bring out your inner Hercule Poirot, debate books like you’re Elle Woods or Harvey Specter, or rhyme like you’re Baudelaire, what are you waiting for? To you, we say, ‘Elementary, my dear Watson!’”
- Aminata Dior Gueye, fourth-year political science student and club vice-president
- Nessrine J. Housni, fourth-year psychology student and club president
5. Enactus uOttawa
Enactus is a club for people who are passionate about both social change and inter-university competitions. Help solve social challenges through projects like Shki-Miikan, which supports Indigenous people in the prison system, or the Legacy Conference, a networking space for entrepreneurs that’s been running for over a decade! This year, Enactus uOttawa took home the trophy for best business club and reached the final four (out of over 50 universities) at the Enactus Canada National Exposition in Calgary.
“Some of our past projects have gone on to witness continued success, even after Enactus. For example, Growcer, a modular hydroponic farming solution designed to allow fresh produce to grow year-round, raised a $3-million Series A round in spring 2024. This truly demonstrated that we’re not just building student projects —, we’re the launchpad for real companies with impact.”
- Fabiha Adiba, fourth-year finance student
- Tolu Sami, fifth-year economics student
6. Undergraduate Mock Trial and Moot Court Society
What if you could experience the intensity of the courtroom right here on campus, pleading cases and participating in mock trials or appeal hearings, without needing to go to law school? Gain experience in public speaking and legal work through competitions or just through the club’s weekly training sessions.
“Anyone can join the Undergraduate Mock Trial and Moot Court Society of the University of Ottawa! No prior experience is required. At our training, we go over various legal terminology and proceedings to better prepare our members to participate in competitions.”
- Mackenzie Carey, recent graduate and former vice-president of marketing
- Titilayo Ojudu, fourth-year student and former co-president
7. Formula uOttawa
OK, time for a break from your Formula 1: Drive to Survive binge. Ever wondered how it would feel to rev up for a race, though? From the simulator to the track, the Formula uOttawa club designs, builds and tests a real race car every year against cars from over a hundred universities worldwide. Whatever your level of experience, you can learn a lot and even take part in competitions, including the biggest one at the Michigan International Speedway. And you don’t need to pass an interview to join the team — you just need a healthy level of curiosity!
“Formula uOttawa stands out because it is by far the coolest club on campus., I mean we build race cars! In all seriousness, our club can provide students with not only useful skills, but with work experience that is directly transferable to a job after graduation. Alumni who were involved with our team have gone on to work at the Mercedes Formula 1 team, Tesla, BRP [Bombardier Recreational Products], Stellantis, and beyond.”
- Kobe Belanger, fifth-year mechanical engineering student, team president and director of manufacturing