68 ROME When in ROME... ROME becomes the newest men’s social club in fall 2020. ROME officially became a club in fall 2020 after undergoing the club establishment process. ROME was founded with the determination to create a community that pursued goals and accountability. “The idea came from a Bible class when the speaker talked about the Romans and how they were super driven and super dedicated to making things happen,” senior member Timothy Holloway said. “That really hit home with me because that previous summer, I was pushed to embrace my strengths and make myself better. We decided this was a good idea for a club.” ROME based itself on values that were different from other clubs’ views. They were honest with potential new members about their expectations. Their devotion to maintaining their club identity helped increase their accountability. “If you make sure that every new member is on board with that goal, even if the club grows, you can just make your goal a little bit bigger,” Assistant Professor of Biology David Donley, sponsor for ROME, said. Club leadership believed they achieved a different mindset with the club system because of how open they were about goals. They required each member to have a personal goal to share with club members at the beginning of each semester, so they could keep each other accountable to that goal. All of their goals were written down in a book that was available to every club member. “I believe our impact has been a little bit of excitement,” senior Vice President Daniel Pipkin said. “There’s always a bit of buzz whenever a new social club hits the ground running, but I think we are giving [potential new members] something a little more than just a group of guys with the same letters on their chest.” ROME hoped to remain open about their goals in order to maintain a sense of community. “I’d like to see ROME be a club that remembers where it came from, but is not afraid to grow, whatever the size,” Holloway said. “I hope we can remain consistent in our goals and stay true to our mission.” story by Hannah Kellum Members of ROME stand with their new queens. ROME worked toward establishing a unique club identity. | photo courtesy of ROME Instagram Account
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