San Francisco State University has a student body of over 21,000 full-time students. Of those, housing and residential services reports that only a little over 10 percent of those students actually reside on campus. Attending a “commuter campus,” as State has been dubbed, frequently causes rise to a disconnected student body.

“If you want to hang out and meet people, they’re all driving in and out from East Bay or wherever. No one wants to stay and hang around a campus where they don’t live or work near. There’s no incentive,” sophomore Deanna Cano says. “It’s hard to make friends with people who are always on the move.”

The University, however, offers students several programs to fill that void. The office of student programs and leadership development (OSPLD) is the hub for all student group activities. There are currently 160 student organizations recognized on campus, and by the end of the spring semester, OSPLD director Joey Greenwell estimates that there will be over 200.

“Student organizations offer an incredible opportunity to broaden your college experience,” Greenwell said. “Most are open to all; they’re an easy way to get involved. All of the organizations are welcoming, for most, you just go to a meeting.”

Student groups frequently recruit through their tables in the Quad. Stopping by is an easy way to find out what open events are coming up. For some students, stopping by the tables is time-consuming, and can be intimidating.

“If you don’t have time, I would search the web. That’s what I did,” said senior Josie Perez. “You can go on the school’s website or call someone. Myspace is another good option to find different organizations, Greek or otherwise. There are ways of getting out there if you want to make friends.” Perez was on the cheerleading squad before she decided to found her own local sorority.

There are a number of ways for students to easily get involved. Students can stop by the OSPLD office in the One Stop Center and talk to an advisor. An advisor can help to identify which groups fall into the category that a student is interested in.

There are several types of organizations to choose from. OSPLD separates groups into Greek organizations (fraternities and sororities), Honor Societies, and general student organizations which are classified by subcategories of social, service, and academic related.

Greenwell stated that OSPLD would like to “provide outreach to students who aren’t involved. They can come in and talk to us about what they’re looking for. If they go on the website, with 160 groups, there’s a lot to choose from.”

Other methods Greenwell suggests for students looking to create social bonds are to check the OSPLD website for listings, as they are updated weekly. He urges students to contact the organizations directly if they know what type of organization they are looking for.

In the future, Greenwell hopes to create an OSPLD sponsored calendar that will have upcoming student events published for all to see. OSPLD also sponsors an activity fair each semester, this semester’s fair will take place in April.

“I think that social experiences are an important part of anyone’s college career. If you don’t make friends, you won’t be happy. These are supposed to be the best years of your life. If they’re only spent between classes, homework, and a job, like it is for a lot of students I know, the years will just pass you by,” said John Tostanoski, a student at SFSU since 2002. Before you know it, college is over, and you feel like you wasted those years. I don’t want to look back and feel like that.”