Many things can interfere
with school, whether it is
work, family responsibilities,
or travel restrictions.
However, night classes offer
flexibility for time-constrained
students.
The Night Owls is a club
directed toward the many students
at Bucks that take night
classes. Campus activities are
often difficult to attend, given
the rigors of balancing work,
class, family, and free time.
Also, night students have a
much lesser chance of meeting
other students outside the
classroom. The Night Owls
offers a unique chance to form
a connection with the school
and other students.
The primary goal of Night
Owls is to give students who
don’t have the chance to be
involved in social networking
on the campus, for whatever
reason, that very opportunity
through Facebook.
Anyone can join- just search
“Night Owls UBC” on
Facebook.
The group is in its early
stages of progress. Last fall,
Jim Fillman, the coordinator of
campus services at Upper
Bucks Campus and a former
“night owl” himself, came up
with the idea. “As coordinator
of campus services at the UBC
I saw myself to be in an excellent
position to remedy the
problem, so I became proactive
in starting a club for evening
students,” said Fillman. “Few
evening students would be
available to meet consistently
for campus club events, so I
decided to make use of technology
and begin a Facebook
club (at least to start).” A few
weeks later, he contacted Brian
Henson, who is now the faculty
adviser for the group.
The use of technology could
be a real asset to Night Owls.
It essentially allows members
to meet at their leisure. Being
confined to set meeting times
is exactly the kind of restriction
this group was created to
overcome, and the Facebook
group gives night owls the
freedom to be as involved as
they want, as often as they
want.
The Night Owls have only a
handful of members at the
moment, but the club is looking
for students to join in.
“We’re looking for students
to get involved, and make
something out of it,” said
Henson. “It’s the beginning of
an organization.”
Opportunities abound, as
Henson envisions the group
going where the students take
it. Officers and ideas are needed
to get the group off the
ground.
Facebook is the starting
point, but Night Owls could be
taken in whatever direction the
members decide. Face to face
meetings can be arranged for
those available and interested.
While it started at the Upper
Bucks Campus, any Bucks student
is welcome to join in, and
now is the perfect time.
An email list is constantly
being updated, and posters
were placed throughout campuses
last semester. “At first
the response from students was
slow, but interest is now beginning
to pick up,” said Fillman.
If you would like to get
involved, join the group on
Facebook (Bucks County
Community College
Nightowls – UBC)and inform
Henson that you are interested
in taking this unique club to the
next level.