If you think every conceivable interest at OU is already represented by the 300-plus registered student organizations, you're probably wrong. Kim Fairbanks, staff assistant for the Student Life Office, said she expects an additional 30 to 40 new groups to be registered this fall.

There are currently 369 registered student organizations representing academic, service, political, religious, cultural and other interests. Groups range from Atheists and Agnostics, the Belly Dance Club and College Republicans all the way to the Zoology Association of Graduate Students. There's probably no idea too obscure for a student organization, said classics instructor Stephen Wagner.

Wagner would know. He was the faculty adviser last year for Sooner Magicians and a group for juggling enthusiasts known as the Society for the Preservation for the Momentum of Objects in Motion.

Wagner, who is also the current adviser for OU Improv, said small, niche groups can help students make friends at a university the size of OU.

"Kids come here from small areas and there's literally tens of thousands of people," Wagner said. "It's a shock. Joining groups gives students a chance to meet other people with the same interests, in a setting that's much smaller than 25,000 [students]."

Groups that are registered are eligible for funding, as well as publicity. Fairbanks said students can come to the Student Life office or go to the Student Life Web site to check out all the organizations available.

There are few requirements for a campus organization. Students must register by the fourth week of the semester by turning in a mission statement, a current listing of student officers and their contact information, a list of at least 10 currently registered students who are members of the organization, a constitution which meets the requirements of the UOSA non-discriminatory policy and an agreement to abide by all university, state and federal laws. A full-time faculty or staff member with benefits must also sign on as an adviser.

Some of the more unusual-sounding groups can foster a cross-cultural experience. Jacqueline Jamarillo, who graduated this summer with a degree in international area studies and French, established the Chinese Jump Rope Club last fall. Played with large rubber bands, Chinese jump rope is similar to hopscotch.

"You get about three or four rubber bands and you loop them together," Jamarillo said. "You get two people to hold the rope with their ankles, and you can reach different levels. There's a routine you teach. It's a great work out."

Jamarillo learned the game from Asian friends

while growing up in Atlanta. She taught the game to her friends at OU and established the club, which she said has grown to 20 members who get together regularly to jump rope on the South Oval.

Although the faculty adviser for the group is Chinese, Jamarillo said most of the group's members are white.

"I met some Filipinos who taught us how to play different games, but we're trying to invite more Asians and learn more about it from them," said Jamarillo, who plans to still attend despite her graduation.

Andrew Heaton, history and religious studies senior, discovered bocce ball in 2005 while studying abroad in England. Along with zoology senior Evan Sims, Heaton founded the Oklahoma Bocce Ball League of Excellence when the pair returned to OU in the fall.

"Evan and I played a few times at Brasenose College through the Honors at Oxford program. Eventually we wound up on the banks of Loch Ness in Scotland, playing their variant of the game, and decided we needed to import the concept back to Oklahoma," Heaton said.

Pronounced "botch-ee," bocce ball is similar to bowling but played on a lawn.

"We use bocce ball as a way to relax during the school week and joke around with friends," Heaton said. "We don't take ourselves or the sport terribly seriously. It's a good way to unwind."

Heaton hopes the club will also have a positive impact on the community by assisting the local chapter of the Special Olympics create its own bocce ball team.

Sara Francis, biochemistry senior, is president of the Ultimate Frisbee "Never Mrs" Club that plays against female teams from other universities.

"We are really going to work on recruiting and getting as many women as we can to come out and play ultimate frisbee with us," Francis said. "Right now, we have about 12 consistent women players, but our goal is to get 20 women dedicated to coming to practice and having lots of fun with our team. People who want to play do not need playing experience because we teach the sport to everyone who makes an effort to come out and play."

Getting group members to be active can sometimes be more challenging than registering the group. A few groups become defunct each semester as students graduate or lose interest, said Fairbanks, who has since left her position.

Melissa Patterson, accounting sophomore, said she probably won't reregister Rugby Lil' Sis, a group she started last year to support the men's rugby club.

"It really never took off very well," Patterson said. "We had a good 30 girls who signed up. We started a group on Facebook, and I would send messages out, but nobody seemed to have any interest [in coming to the games]."

It's probably wise not to start a new organization unless you're sure you can keep it going. Otherwise, there's probably already a group for you.

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