Vikings gathered for some exciting and inclusive activities the clubs put together to welcome new and concurrent students for Join a Club Day on Thursday, Feb. 21st.
It was a lively and upbeat atmosphere out on the quad at LAC, perfect for making connections that last all semester, depending on the club of your choice.
Clubs had individual tents set up with members handing out flyers and smiles, as they greeted students who had potential interest in joining their club.
Among the festivities, ASB put together a raffle for students and a Frito chili cheese pie booth, the Jazz Club played live music, a splendor of free candy offered at various club tents, and a rock-paper-scissor tournament.
Each club on campus has a unique characteristic, with the hope of their message resonating with students and catching their interest.
Sasha Valenzuela, president of the feminist club, said, “We like to push the fact that we’re intersectional and all inclusive. Anyone can come if they’re willing to listen.”
Join a Club Day is intended for recruiting members and involving students in extracurricular activities such as volunteer hours for transfer credits, study groups, executing their shared hobbies, and to make friends.
Club leaders and members agree that recruiting members at the beginning of the semester is a key component to a good semester for clubs on campus.
Each semester turnout rates seem to fluctuate for recruitment.
Sergio Atanacio, a member of The Order of Tong International, said, “There was a time where we had up to 13 males and 13 females joining… we’re trying to build up and get back to those double digits.”
College students have a lot to juggle with full-time or part-time course loads, personal lives, jobs, etc.
Clubs are aware of this fact and fortunately are able to take such details into account with their scheduling, with meetings at different times throughout the week.
Professor Robert Vitt, and fifth year advisor of the Philosophy Club, had words of encouragement for students balancing extracurricular activities and schoolwork,
“You can do it,” Vitt explained, “People tend to not do extracurricular activities because it can be a distraction, but you find people with similar interests and it can complement your academic work.”
There are a lot of promising aspects to joining a club on campus and making lasting connections is one of the better perks.
LBCC has more than 50 clubs and organizations on campus, all with a wide array of interests and academic values, that students can join to become more involved on and off campus.