Student Activities and Organizations

Residence Associations — Women’s Residential Life (WRL) and Men’s Residential Life (MRL) are designed to assist in meeting the various needs of students in residence. They endeavor to foster Christian fellowship, promote the fundamentals of etiquette, and carry on a continuous program of residence hall life improvement. Among some of the activities sponsored by these organizations are: coronation of homecoming queen, mentoring relationships, seminars, and various inter-residence hall activities. The WRL and MRL councils consist of an elected vice-president and representatives from each of the residential facilities. Membership is voluntary and open to all students living in campus housing.

Religious Organizations — The Spiritual Life Organization sponsors several religious programs and activities for the purpose of fostering a vital spiritual life on the campus and providing opportunities for Christian service. Under the direction of the Chaplain’s Office and the Vice President of Spiritual Life, students are provided with opportunities to worship and serve in the local Bourbonnais area and beyond. Groups under Spiritual Life include Urban Children's Ministries, Prayer Warriors, and Best Buddies.

Musical Organizations — The Department of Music provides students with various opportunities for musical expression through its choral and instrumental organizations. Those groups are: Brass Consort, Brass Quintet, Chrysalis Women’s Choir, Concert Band, Concert Singers, Flute Choir, Guitar Combo, Guitar Orchestra, Handbell Choir, Jazz Band, Marching Band, Orpheus Choir, Pep Band, Percussion Ensemble, Saxophone Ensemble, Testament Men’s Choir, University Orchestra, Proclamation Gospel Choir, and Woodwind Quintet. These ensembles, together with University-sponsored music and drama groups, provide vitally important performance experience and represent Olivet locally and on the educational region.

Intercollegiate Athletics — Olivet is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA), and participates in intercollegiate athletic competition in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference. Intercollegiate sports for men include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, tennis, swimming, and track. Intercollegiate sports for women include basketball, softball, golf, tennis, swimming, track, soccer, volleyball, and cross country. Intercollegiate athletics are considered an integral part of the total educational program of the University. Students who participate must be registered for a minimum of 12 hours and must meet all the eligibility requirements set forth by the University and the NAIA. Through athletics, the students find unique opportunities for witnessing for Christ. In order to be eligible for intercollegiate athletic competition, students must adhere to the standards adopted by the NAIA, including the following:

1. Be enrolled in at least 12 semester hours at the time of participation. (Repeat courses should be cleared with the Registrar.)
2. Accumulate at least 24 hours of credit in the two terms of attendance immediately preceding the semester of participation. (Repeat courses previously passed cannot count toward the 24-hour rule.)
3. A second-term freshman must have earned at least nine hours of credit during the first semester. In addition, student athletes must remain in satisfactory scholastic standing as defined in the Catalog, Chapter 6.

Intramural Athletics — Olivet Nazarene University sponsors a well-balanced program of intramural athletics for men and women. The intramural program is under the direction of the Office of Student Development. The purpose of the intramural program is to provide a variety of activities for men, women, and co-ed competition. All students, faculty, and staff members have opportunity to fill their leisure time with wholesome fun in individual and group activities. Active participation in intramurals can fulfill the need for exercise and social development.

Participation in intramural activities contributes to the physical, mental, social, and spiritual health of the individual. Bodily exercise, decision-making through thinking, group participation, and using good sportsmanship are building blocks for good health. A student must be enrolled in a minimum of seven hours of studies to be eligible for participation in intramural athletics.

The Leslie Parrott Convocation/Athletic Center was completed in 1990. Inside, McHie Arena has seating for 2,300 for sports events like basketball, and 2,750 for convocations and concerts. Faculty and coaches’ offices, locker rooms, racquetball courts, a running track, a turf room, and the Tiger Den lounge are key elements of the 68,000-square-foot building. It is directly connected to Birchard Gymnasium and Chalfant Hall.

Birchard Gymnasium includes basketball and volleyball courts for intramural sports, a weightlifting room, and an indoor track. Snowbarger Athletic Park has 30 acres of outdoor fields for football, soccer, and baseball; a one-mile jogging track; track and field facilities; tennis courts; and locker rooms for outdoor sports.

Publications — Olivet sponsors two student publications: the Aurora, the University annual, and the GlimmerGlass, the University newspaper. These publications provide a channel for literary and artistic expression and add greatly to the campus environment. In addition to these, The Olivetian, a quarterly, is published by the University administration to communicate with students, parents, alumni, prospective students, and friends of the University.

Associated Student Council — The ASC consists of an executive council, which assists the student body president in executing organization by-laws and constitution, and a class council, which organizes events for each class. The Student Council of the Associated Students of Olivet Nazarene University (ASC), in conjunction with the University administrative officers, fosters wholesome social and religious activities on the campus. Under the ASC's direction, academic and social clubs carry out various activities.

Clubs and Organizations — Biophilic (Biology Club), Capitol Hill Gang, Chemistry Club, Collegiate Music Educators National Conference (CMENC), Computer Science Club*, Diakonia (Social Work), Engineering Club*, Equestrian Club, Exercise Science Club, Going Green, Green Room, International Justice Mission (IJM), Kappa Delta Pi (National Education Honor Society), Kappa Delta Rho (FACS Honor Society), Kappa Omicron Nu/Kappa Sigma Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau* (International Nursing Honors Society), Lambda Pi Eta Theta Beta (Communication Dept. Honor Society), Math Club, Men's Club Volleyball, MuKappa (Nat'l Chapter for Missionary Kids & Military Families serving internationally), Multi-Ethnic Relations Club (MERC), National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), Nursing Student Association (NSA), Officers of Christian Fellowship, Olivet Geological Society (OGS), Phi Alpha Theta (History Honor Society), Pre-Law Society, Psi Chi ( Psychology Honor Society), Psychology Club, Seventh Reel (ONU Film Club), Sigma Tau Delta (English Honor Society), Spoons-4-Forks, Student Dietetic Association (SDA), Student Education Association (SEA), Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), Student Unit of Family and Consumer Sciences (SUFACS)

* denotes clubs that operate outside ASC