To explain why the word 'syndicate' used instead the alternatives, check below.
Society
The word has a precise definition within the Edinburgh University Students’ Association. Any group that does not fit its criteria cannot be called a society even if it is not planning to be recognised by the EUSA. No plans for EUV_ to become an official EUSA society.
Association
The word usually refers to a students’ union of a university.
Union
The word usually refers to a students’ association of a university.
Club
The word has a precise definition within the Edinburgh University Students’ Association. A club is a term used for a group of people participating in a sport. Basically, a club is a sports society.
Syndicate
The word has an infamous, default definition of a crime organisation. We don’t want to have a bad first impression with newcomers.
Fellowship
The word has a precise definition within the University of Edinburgh and academia in general, referring to an postdoctoral programme of some kind.
League
The word has a default connection with sports or League of Legends. The abbreviation, EUVL, is perfectly fine.
Community
The word is perfectly fine except for the fact its abbreviation, EUVC, would be shared with the Edinburgh University Volleyball Club.
Guild
The word is perfectly fine, but would cause concern with the expansion to the University of Liverpool. Its students’ union is called the Liverpool Guild of Students.
When coming up with the name for his new group, the founder was mainly concerned with having a unique name (and acronym), potential for expansion, and distancing his group from the Edinburgh University Students’ Association. The word 'syndicate' fits his criteria, but he is willing to convince other students to 'not judge a book by its cover' (not judge the community by its name) as open-mindedness and trust must be tolerated from everybody involved.
Even though the founder says 'he is willing to convince other students to not judge the community by its name', the USA has a different culture to the UK. The word 'syndicate' is very risky to be used in any context due to the word's infamous definition. Therefore, the founder allows alternatives to be used such as 'supercommunity', 'guild', 'fellowship', 'club', or 'society'. It depends on the rigidness of the university and student's union and the mindset of the university students.
In the Romance languages, the word 'syndicate' has a meaning of 'trade union' which is more appealing than the twisted American definition. Hence the European expansion would be a breeze with the establishment of the Paris University Visionary Syndicate (PUVS) for example.
A combination of capitalists or financiers entered into for the purpose of prosecuting a scheme requiring large resources of capital, esp. one having the object of obtaining control of the market in a particular commodity. Hence, more widely, a combination of persons formed for the promotion of an enterprise; esp. a combination for the acquisition of articles, etc. and their simultaneous publication in a number of periodicals; also, a combination of newspapers controlled by such a body.
A group of people or organizations who join together to share the financial risk involved in achieving something.
A group of persons or concerns who combine to carry out a particular transaction or project.
A group of individuals or organizations combined or making a joint effort to undertake some specific duty or carry out specific transactions or negotiations.
An association of people or organizations that is formed for business purposes or in order to carry out a project.
A group of people or organizations that work together to achieve a particular aim.
A group of people or companies who join together in order to achieve a particular aim.
A group of people or companies who work together and help each other in order to achieve a particular aim.
A self-organizing group of individuals, companies, corporations or entities formed to transact some specific business, to pursue or promote a shared interest.
A group of individuals or companies formed to transact some specific business, or to promote a common interest; a self-coordinating group.
An association of people or firms formed to promote a common interest or carry out a business enterprise.
A group of individuals or organizations that combine or cooperate in order to engage in business transactions or negotiations or some other undertaking.