Student Club Round Up – SPR’26 Edition 

by Aishah Bashir & The Student Club Leader Team 

If you missed the Club Fair in February, but you still want to get involved? DON’T WORRY, we’ve got you covered.

And if you’re still interested in creating a club? Then keep reading because we have some info you’re gonna want to know 😉

A few weeks ago, on a gorgeous Friday afternoon, Marist Italy held its semesterly Club Fair. And for the first time, at the Marist Office, in a historic shift to make the club fair more accessible and central for the Marist Italy community. 

Continue reading for your full report on ALL of the current clubs students have to offer for the Spring 2026 season. Including contact information and a short preview of each club coming bar for bar straight from the club leader themself! 

The Arts Society 

Club Leader: Erin Gage

Contact: erin.gage1@marist.edu

Message from the club leader:

Explore museums and galleries in three visits across the semester! Connect with other students who have a shared love of the fine arts and art history.

The Arts Society has been running for around three years. Museum visits have historically included the Stibbert Museum just outside of the historical city center, visits to Museo degli Innocenti for an exhibition on Alfonse Muccha, and this past semester, Toulouse Lautrec, as well as to Museo Novecento. As such, the art we are exposed to ranges from medieval to very contemporary.

This semester, we’ve already visited the Villa Romana exhibit at Museo Novecento, which had a collection of artwork from past artist residents as well as the history of the house. Looking forward, there will be a visit to the Rothko exhibit, which opens this weekend!

Soap! Periodica: Magazine Club 

Club Leader: Ainsley Walter 

Contact: ainsley.walter1@marist.edu 

Message from the leader:

Soap! is a student-run literary and art magazine based in Florence, Italy. We are looking for all kinds of literature and art forms created by students! 

This semester’s Soap! issue is themed around BLOOD ORANGE. Inspiration for submissions is not required, but if you need that next idea, that next step, take it from blood orange and its characteristics! 

Currently looking for new members to succeed once the current Soap! Committee graduates, if this sounds like you, email Ainsley Walter or Aishah Bashir aishah.bashir1@marist.edu 

Submit your art here & follow our Instagram @soap.periodica

You can stay up to date with submissions/follow the process on our website: soapmag.art 

Fashion Club 

Club Leader: Maya-Maria Willis

Contact: maya-maria.willis1@marist.edu

Message from the club leader:

Welcome to Marist Fashion Club! Explore your style, get inspired by others, and participate in fashion-related events. Our main goal is to create Marist Italy’s first Florence Fashion Show. It is open to anyone with a passion for fashion or organizational skills. Anyone interested in modeling, showcasing their work, organizing events, or simply there to watch is welcome!

Sandwich Club 

Club Leader: Ella Boyd 

Contact: ella.boyd1@marist.edu

Message from the club leader:

Sandwich Club brings people together to build delicious masterpieces and share good vibes. It’s a space to connect through food, creativity, and a shared love of sandwiches. There is a different theme for each meeting, and we meet around once a month on Thursday nights at PLM. Hosted by Ella Boyd, feel free to reach out with questions or even sandwich ideas you’d like to see. Grilled cheese night is on the horizon, don’t miss it!

Outing Club 

Club Leader: Lynzee Zrebiec

Contact: Lynzee.zebo1@marist.edu

Message from the club leader:

For this club, we explore the city and the surrounding areas. This can include playing sports at nearby parks, going to libraries, study spots, or nature hikes outside the city. If you want to join or you have any questions, find Lynzee.

Next location is a hike to Fiesole, you don’t want to miss it!

Needle Drop 

Club Leader: Sophia Efimova 

Contact: sophia.efimova1@marist.edu

Message from the club leader:

Needle Drop Club is a club that is centered around music discussion. Fun fact: it is the longest-running club at Marist Italy! Needle Drop (named for the drop of a needle onto a vinyl record) focuses on fostering connection and conversation in the form of weekly sessions where members meet to exchange opinions and talk about different albums (and music in general). Each member has the opportunity to pick an album for everyone to listen to and oftentimes makes a small presentation about why they picked the album, its personal/cultural significance, and the artist/band’s background. In the past, we’ve had students pick from a variety of genres, spanning rap, heavy metal, folk, experimental pop, and many more! We offer snacks at meetings, and try to host a pizza party for the last meeting as a treat for those who have consistently attended throughout the Semester. Needle Drop Club meets weekly on Thursdays at 7:00 PM in the PLM Common Room or the Marist Italy Office.

We look forward to seeing you there!

International Club 

Club Leader: Jude Ayroud

Contact: jude.ayroud1@marist.edu

Message from the club leader:

International club is a community created for cultural exchange. Each week, we’ll choose a country and try the cuisine, watch movies/documentaries, music videos, or even play a game. Club members can even suggest the country that they’re from if they’d like to share.

Marist Italy Student Council 

Club Leader: Aishah Bashir

Contact: aishah.bashir1@marist.edu

Message from the club leader:

Marist Italy Student Council, or MISC, is your opportunity to get involved civically at Marist Italy’s student government. Our mission is to enhance the quality of student life in the program. Previous known initiatives were the creation of the Student Clubs at Marist Italy and the Health & Wellness Grant. There are other small or big ways you can get involved, from throwing together student mixers between FFE and BDP, or working directly with administration here in Florence and in Poughkeepsie.  

Be the change you want to see! 

Butterfly Project

Club Leader: Sam Tessier

Contact: sam.tessier1@marist.edu

Message from the club leader:

The Butterfly Project is inspired by a very simple idea: the butterfly effect.

A small act of kindness that can transform someone’s life.

The butterflies are committed leaders who believe in a better world—one shaped by kindness and mutual support. The butterfly effect is a community of people from all backgrounds who come together to take action each week to make a difference.

In the last few meetings, whether it was writing small notes of kindness and handing them out to strangers, organizing a fundraiser, or going “Bald for a Cause” for a local hospital, the butterflies strive to make the world better by combining the beat of their wings.

Do you want to be a leader? Do you simply want to take part in community events, or maybe even shave your head for the cause? Join the Butterfly Project!

Insta: butterfly_project26

Foreign Films, Changing Perspectives

Club Leader: Rosa Benders

Contact: rosa.bender1@marist.edu

Message from the club leader:

Foreign Films, Changing Perspectives is a new club that attempts to make a difference by supporting small changes in things we enjoy, such as watching movies! With the current global conflicts that infiltrate everyday life, it is hard not to feel hopeless in the lack of influence we have, especially when we have found out time and time again that news and media, and the narratives we are actively being taught, are no longer narratives we can trust. 

By consciously widening the media we consume to foreign films that focus on authentic perspectives on conflicts, we can broaden our understanding and perspectives through a movie night, engage in more diverse dialogue, and eventually learn to actively search for other narratives to take with us as we navigate this explosive time. At the end of the semester, we will agree on a cause to donate the club funds to, as a symbolic change to start our path of making small differences. 

It will be hosted in the PLM common room, on a date and time to be discussed with club members. 

For any questions, please reach out to Rosa.Benders1@marist.edu.

Slavic Club

Club Leader: Zoriana Shama

Contact: zoriana.shama1@marist.edu

Message from the club leader:

Come relax and explore new cultures at Slavic Club! Our meetings feature movie viewings with Slavic snacks and discussion, so stop by if curious! 

Look forward to trips Slavic store and movie viewings coming soon 🙂

For more information, contact Zoriana Shama (zoriana.shama1@marist.edu).

Pre Law Society

Club Leader: Taylor Middleton 

Contact: taylor.middleton@lorenzodemedici.it

Message from leader:

If you love debating, arguing your point, or dropping a strong hot take just for the fun of it, you should probably be here.

We’re starting the Marist Italy Pre-Law Society, and our first info session is basically a chance to meet people who also enjoy a good argument (the fun kind). We’ll talk about debate nights, controversial topics, mock trials, and how to sharpen your thinking — whether you actually want to go to law school or just like proving your friends wrong. First meeting is Monday, March 9th, 6 pm in PLM Common Room. No experience needed. Just opinions.

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So, you’ve got all the way down here, congrats!! Comment a banana emoji 

You’re probably wondering, how can I start a club? Well, all you have to do is reach out to Club Coordinator, Sophia Efimova, to get started at sophia.efimova1@marist.edu and BOOM, you’re one step closer to enriching your college experience. 

Clubs are one of the best ways to find your people here at Marist — connecting students who share a common interest and giving them a space to grow those connections into real friendships. They play a meaningful role in shaping the kind of community we are, and we’re grateful to every student who takes the time to make that happen.

Lastly, special thanks to the club leaders for taking the initiative to start their club and for also creating such beautiful posters. 

Be sure to check back here for exciting updates on clubs & more! 

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