You’ve probably seen the flyers. Or maybe you’ve seen the advertisements in B-Line. But if you haven’t already, that’s because Share A Skill is one of Binghamton’s newest up-and-coming clubs. It’s one of Binghamton University’s “non-traditional” clubs because of its innately social nature — you learn new skills, all from other students.

To get involved, you essentially “share” one of your skills. The skill will be entered into the already growing database, and you will have the opportunity to teach it to others.

On this week’s roster alone, a club member can try voice lessons, longboarding, knitting, animation, game design and tap dancing.

Josh Aharanoff, a graduate student in accounting, is one of the founders of Share A Skill.

“I myself have been a huge fan of the clubs on campus,” Aharanoff said. “My first semester here I joined the racquetball, breakdancing, fencing club and piano society. I later checked out other clubs too, like ballroom dance, gymnastics, volleyball and water polo. With a campus filled with 15,000 students, I’ve realized that everyone has an amazing skill to share, regardless of what clubs you’re a part of.”

The great thing about Share A Skill is that it has two parts. Not only can you learn skills, but the club is a great way to meet friends. Students are the ones teaching these hobbies and skills and spreading their knowledge to the rest of campus. Nothing is more laid-back than learning something cool from one of your friends.

It’s also a great opportunity for anyone who wants to be a teacher, as they can practice teaching to their peers. It can also help those who want to improve on public speaking, as they can get in front of a crowd of students and share something special.

Samantha Van Adelsberg, a senior double-majoring in music and English, taught the very first skills class this week. Van Adelsberg, who has studied and been involved in singing for 10 years, became interested in teaching voice lessons to others through her own studies.

“I’ve had voice teachers in the past who have been extremely critical of me as a singer to get me to grow, but I’ve found through providing lessons for other students in a calm, patient and encouraging environment that the voice can grow just as much, if not more effectively,” Van Adelsberg said. “I wanted to be the voice teacher for students like me. As for the Sharing A Skill Club itself, I think it’s a great idea. You can really see what unique skills students on campus have and you can learn so much from them.”

You definitely won’t find Share A Skill out in the real world, so you might want to take advantage of it while you’re still in college.

“This campus is so great because it allows you access to all these amazing resources and facilities, while connecting you to everyone else as well,” Aharanoff said. “Working in the city this summer made me realize how lucky I am in this school; half of the stuff I wanted to do wasn’t available, and the other half was way too expensive.”

If you haven’t already attended a general interest meeting, keep an eye on B-Line for ways to get involved and attend skill lessons. Maybe you’ll learn something you never knew existed. And maybe you’ll find something even more special, friendship.