Student groups at Boston University are a joke, and it’s absolutely not the administration’s fault.

The general disinterest with which the campus treats student groups and on-campus events has limited the ability of students to program successful events.

Many of the events planned are extremely ambitious; between concerts, philanthropic functions and topical on-campus lectures, BU programming would seem to be as strong as it’s been in years. And thanks to the Student Activities Office, Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore and the Programming Council, the university has made great strides in helping groups plan for and fund events.

But support for the groups is pitiful, and unfortunately, much of the hard work by administrators and students alike has been for naught.

The complacency with which students approach on-campus groups is disheartening. While a wide variety of groups line the halls of the link in the George Sherman Union, students are more likely to buy used DVDs or fake Prada bags than consider any of the tables populated by hard-working BU students.

This is perhaps at the heart of the general malaise that permeates the BU student body. Participation in groups has been made easier than ever – but the groups must work harder than ever to stimulate interest. If organizations are to provide any sort of successful future programming, BU students must take it upon themselves to actively participate.

Through all the apathy and disinterest, a few groups have flourished. The Programming Council has brought high quality acts like Dane Cook and Jurassic 5 to campus, and the Community Service Center’s Alternative Spring Break program continues to rally students for philanthropic causes.

Alternative Spring Break is one of the great success stories of BU student groups. Begun by a handful of students, the program now features 20 trips and more than 250 volunteers. There was so much interest this year that students were even turned away.

This is a rarity at BU, but clearly not an impossibility. Matt Fleming, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences, is the coordinator for the Pensacola, Fla. trip that will be building houses for victims of Hurricane Ivan.

He said that while interest in the program is at an all-time high, ASB promoted its trips nearly four months in advance to reach students. But even with months of promotion, word of mouth was most effective for the group.

“We have a lot of returning volunteers who spread the word by telling and recruiting their friends,” he said.

Many groups are similarly working to involve the entire campus, but some have begun to pursue very particular student populations. Consequently, groups have found success by focusing on ethnicity, religion and political affiliations.

While these groups have become centerpieces of BU, they further fragment a campus already struggling heavily with any attempts at unity. Whether it’s the BU Democrats bickering with the BU Republicans or the Greek System bickering with, well, everyone, the student groups at BU interact about as well as most high school cliques.

So between the splintered student groups and the apathy of the student body, it’s a difficult situation for all the hard-working students who put hours, days and years into their groups. They face an uphill battle, forced to court students who don’t care while jockeying with competing groups for funding and attention. It’s not uncommon for student groups to throw events without any student participation outside of the group itself. BU’s campus, or lack thereof, does not lend itself to event promotion or participation.

But there’s hope for these groups yet. The first thing BU needs is a central information source for student groups and events – something simple, efficient and easy for students to access and use. A good example comes from Tufts University. Their website – tuftslife.com – is impressive in its setup, thoroughness and simplicity, integrating events, announcements, weather and much more.

Secondly, as the saying goes, the children, or freshmen, are our future. Student groups and the administration have realized that exposing freshmen to groups during Orientation and at other times not only helps recruit motivated members, but also integrates the freshman class into the BU experience.

So if you’re a freshman and reading this, get some shower sandals. Seriously – those showers are disgusting. Then find a student group you can be a part of. There’s one for everyone. If you’re at a loss, join the Cigar Aficionado Society. It’s a solid club that gets you discounts at some local cigar shops. Plus, everyone looks cool with a cigar.