Hawkeyes Find Their Flock Through Campus Student Groups

Outside of the classroom, University of Iowa students seek places of connection and belonging. They can find that in one of more than 600 student organizations on campus. Here are a few of the many groups where Hawkeyes make friends, serve others, and grow personally and professionally in leadership roles.

PHOTO COURTESY IOWA BAJA RACING Iowa Baja races on a muddy off-road course during a past national competition in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

Iowa Baja Racing

The Society of Automotive Engineers’ UI chapter designs, tests, and races off-road vehicles, so students can gain hands-on experience in engineering, marketing, and business.

Signature Events: Members typically compete in three races per year: Backwoods Baja in Eau Galle, Wisconsin, in the fall; Winter Baja in Houghton, Michigan; and the national SAE competition.

Student Endorsement: “I’ve always been involved in mechanical projects, fixing and building things. However, I have never done anything on this scale to where we are designing and building a new car every year and consistently competing and applying what we learn in the classroom,” says past club president Carter DeLanoit (26BSE), a recent mechanical engineering graduate from Fort Dodge, Iowa. “I love being involved in each build and the problem solving that comes with it, then seeing all that hard work come together when we compete against schools from across the country.”

PHOTO COURTESY INDIAN STUDENT ALLIANCE A group from Purdue University sings in the UI Indian Student Alliance's annual Gathe Raho, a national South Asian a cappella competition.

Indian Student Alliance

Members hold events that celebrate Indian culture, promote cultural awareness, and foster an inclusive campus.

Signature Events: The group hosts four major events each year, including Garba Raas Bollywood Bhangra, which draws hundreds of Hawkeyes for food and dancing; Diwali, the Indian Festival of Lights; Gathe Raho, a national South Asian a cappella contest; and Nachte Raho, a national Bollywood fusion dance competition. Kushi Maridu (26BS), past president and a recent biomedical sciences grad from Bettendorf, Iowa, says this past year’s Garba Raas event had one of the highest turnouts he’d ever seen. “Seeing everyone, from little kids to the ones that have seen it all, lose themselves in dance reminded me once again how powerful culture and diversity is and why ISA does what it does,” he says.

IMAGE: KRUI

KRUI Radio

For more than 40 years, the student-run station has given Hawkeyes practical experience in the radio and broadcast industry.

Student Endorsement: Lee Nienhaus, the station’s marketing director and an incoming junior majoring in art and pre-business from Muscatine, Iowa, says, “I joined KRUI, because I wanted to find my people. My favorite thing about KRUI is how creative and different everyone is.”

PHOTO: AVA NEUMAIER/DAILY IOWAN Letters of Love members prepare encouraging cards for kids in the hospital.

PHOTO COURTESY LETTERS OF LOVE

Letters of Love

Students team up to send handcrafted, heartfelt letters each month to encourage and uplift pediatric patients facing serious illnesses.

Lasting Memory: According to Sara Streeter, who served as Letters of Love vice president of administration this past year, around 600 students created more than 3,800 cards for children in the fall semester alone. The incoming senior public health major from Wayzata, Minnesota, says she was blown away by attendance at the organization’s first meeting of the year this past fall. “We had never seen so many people show up!” she says.

“We had hoped to grow interest in our club, but we were not prepared for every seat in [the room] to be taken, with people lining the stairs and finding spots on the floor. Our numbers more than doubled from the previous semester, and we even had to run during the meeting to grab more paper to keep up with everyone writing cards.”

PHOTO COURTESY A MOMENT OF MAGIC Students in A Moment of Magic dress as princesses to delight children.

A Moment of Magic

This group harnesses the power of play to spark joy and support the mental and emotional health of medically vulnerable children and their families.

Signature Events: Members visit patients at UI Health Care Stead Family Children’s Hospital and take trips beyond campus to meet with children at health care facilities, donation-based daycares, and rehabilitation centers. Students dress as princesses, superheroes, and other characters to delight children who may live with chronic illness, disabilities, or cancer.

Lasting Memory: Last year, the group traveled to a small Iowa town to spend time with a young cancer patient and her sisters. “I will never forget the smile on her face the moment we arrived. She radiated light and happiness despite her illness,” says past chapter president Ana Laura Leyser (26BS), a recent biomedical sciences graduate originally from Brazil. “In one short afternoon, we were able to bring her joy and make her feel like a princess. She is now forever 3 years old, and I like to believe that she and her family will always carry that moment with them, a memory filled with magic, love, and light.”

The South Asian Student Alliance 2025-26 executive board poses in front of the Visual Arts Building.

South Asian Student Alliance

The alliance invites students with an interest in South Asian culture, regardless of background, to participate in social and philanthropic events that showcase cultural traditions.

Signature Events: Mock Shaadi—a pretend wedding that introduces students to Southeast Asian nuptial customs—features fashion, choreographed dances, traditional food, and games. Other club events include painting diyas, oil lamps used in the celebration of Diwali.

Student Endorsement: “I originally joined to find a community and reconnect with my own culture, but I ended up learning so much about other South Asian traditions too,” says past club president Sowji Kondety (26BS), a recent biology and pre-med graduate from Johnston, Iowa. “The best part, though, is the people. The friends I’ve made here aren’t just until graduation; they will always be a part of my life.”