Music fills a room in the Student Centre building as students sing, play instruments and unwind together.
The Musical Jam club gives students a space to relax, share their love of music and connect with others outside the classroom.
The club was recently started by Ryan Smilie, a Child and Youth Care (CYC) student.
“I just wanted to start a music club. I just wanted to create a place for people to come jam out, relax and then just write music,” he said.
Clubs like his are creating spaces for students to take a break from school and connect with others who share similar interests.
Aaliyah Daigarno, another CYC student, helped Smilie start the club. She said they noticed there was no space on campus for students who wanted to play or talk about music.
“I think clubs, they help students because sometimes, like me, it’s hard for people to talk with just the people in their class,” she said. “And I feel like if you have a club and it’s about things like music or art, if they all have the same interests.”
Smilie said clubs can help students connect and reduce feelings of isolation.
“I feel like there’s a lot of isolation happening in today’s day and age, a lot from social media. And it’s hard for them to connect. So I think having a club is specifically about music. It gives people a reason to come together,” he said. “It gives something students can bond over.”
Rose Smallbridge, a member of the club, said having this space recently has helped her with school.
“It helps me a lot to kind of just de-stress between classes because we have a lot of classes this semester,” she said, “so [it] kind of helps just to break them up and have something to look forward to throughout my day.”
Smallbridge said the club also allows students to step away from school.
“And it’s just nice to reconnect with people and kind of be grounded and not just so like school-focused,” she said.
Smilie said he hopes the club can continue to provide a space where students can relax.
“They can turn their brain off a little bit and kind of just jam and kind of just be in a place where they can just feel good,” he said.
The Durham College Student Association (DCSA) has a variety of clubs open for students, no matter their interests. For more information, visit the club list on their website.