Bringing a taste of Poland to campus is what this recently established organization is all about.
Montclair State University students with a Polish background were lacking a place to meet and celebrate their heritage until October 2025, when the Polish Club was established by founder and president Evelina Simala. Four months later, it’s up and running with Student Government Association (SGA) affiliation, and is quickly becoming a hit on campus.
General meeting attendance for the Polish Club is already impressive, with some 25 students present, including club leadership. The meeting, which took place in the Feliciano School of Business, included a narrated slide presentation about the club. The room also had a large wall-mounted Polish flag and a Polish-themed courtesy table.
Simala, the club’s president and a sophomore accounting major, told the audience that the club offers Poland-themed activities in a congenial atmosphere.
“We’re all about spreading the Polish culture, networking, getting to know each other and just becoming friends,” Simala said. “Everyone is welcome, no matter what race you are, gender, you’re all welcome.”
The club, Simala told The Montclarion, has been attracting robust membership since its debut.
“On Engage, we have about 50 [members], and then GroupMe 80, but we’re definitely expanding very quickly.”
Simala said she created the Polish Club to fill a campus community void.
“As a commuter, I struggled to find friends on campus,” Simala said. “And as a born leader, I thought this was a perfect opportunity to start a club. I realized we didn’t have a Polish club. I’m Polish, so I was like, ‘this is perfect.’”
Simala said she has many goals for the budding outfit.
“Eventually, I want to go big with this club,” Simala said. “I want to throw some type of party, like a buffet on campus in one of the big ballrooms. We’re having a bingo night. We’re going to do many [collaborations] with other culture clubs, like line dancing, a bunch of stuff.”
Simala’s high hopes for the club also include Polish cultural field trips and collaborations with external organizations.
“There are definitely some museums we can go to, and we’re part of the Polish Youth Association, so we do attend events with them as well.”
The president said another intended club activity is introducing the Polish language to beginners.
“I believe it’s going to be hosted by one of us,” Simala said. “We’re going to teach the people that show up the basics, like how to say ‘Hi’ in Polish.”
Numerous Polish resources for club members at the Polish Club's meeting. Lizbeth Gomez-Pinacho︱The Montclarion
Kamil Labadi, club treasurer, said learning the tongue comports with the group’s extracurricular activities. Labadi is also a sophomore accounting major.
“Because we go to many Polish cultural events, you’re definitely bound to interact with people who are fluent in the language,” Labadi said, “so I feel like you can definitely learn from being in this club.”
Labadi said the Montclair State University Polish Club showcases Poland’s customs and heritage on campus.
“I think it’s good for all the cultures in our school to be represented,” Labadi said. “That’s why I think the greatest benefit for our club is that we get to provide representation for all the Polish community members, and even people who are not Polish are welcome here always.”
Echoing that view is Ryan Olvera of Cedar Grove, a 2024 university alumnus. He commented about the club during a Feb. 12 campus visit. When asked, Olvera said the novel organization broadens the university’s ethnic horizons and serves as a social base for students of Polish descent.
“It brings a little more cultural diversity on campus, so… I think it’s a good idea,” Olvera said. “I mean, for all the people who have Polish heritage, they feel they have a little bit of their [home] here on campus, wherever they go. Even people who dorm, who are far away from their homes, they have a little bit of their family, culture.”
The Montclair State University Polish Club meets every first and third Wednesday at the Feliciano School of Business, Room 421. Further information about the club can be found on Engage at the university’s NEST site.
