CORRECTION: A previous version of this story provided an incorrect caption on the second photo.
A collection of vintage Hot Wheels and pioneer-style dresses were displayed among the booth decorations featured at the second day of Long Beach City College’s Join-A-Club event on Wednesday.
New and returning students came together at the A-Quad in the Liberal Arts Campus to sign up for and learn about 45 of LBCC’s 75 clubs.
A common goal expressed by multiple club leaders was the impact of building a sense of community.
“We’ve been running for at least a decade, and a lot of people keep coming back every semester. It’s a tight-knit community, but it’s also very welcoming,” said Nandini Reddy, President of the English Majors and Minors Club.
The club itself has won three awards. Reddy attributes the awards to all their social events on campus.
“We have picnics and poetry readings, and do open mics once a month. We give feedback (to members who participate) to help improve their work and build confidence,” Reddy said.
Anthropology Club President, Samantha Overberg, not only aims to build a community through the club, but she also inspires other students from different backgrounds to build connections as well.
“Anthropology covers the story of humans. It’s a broad field, but has so much depth to it. It’s always relevant,” Overberg said.
Overberg explained that club members participate in a cultural show-and-tell and bring items from their homes that are connected to their heritage.
This was put into practice at the event, as two pioneer-style dresses belonging to the club’s Vice President, Elizabeth “Libby” Loveridge, were featured at the booth.
“She (Loveridge) grew up Mormon. Once a year, she and her family dress up as pioneers and do things like their ancestors did, like pulling handcarts. She is no longer Mormon, but it’s still part of her tradition,” said Overberg.
Loveridge’s dresses were not the only personal items highlighted at the event.
Automotive Club secretary, Chris McQuillin, displayed his extensive collection of vintage Hot Wheels at the club’s booth and generously sold them to help fundraise for the club.
“We’re trying to raise money for field trips and to just keep the club going,” McQuillin said. “We went to K1 Speed over the summer, and we’d love to do more things like that.”
McQuillin shared that he has been interested in cars and especially Hot Wheels for 8 years, but his enthusiasm developed further during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“When I wake up and look at my car, I almost see it as a Hot Wheel. Collecting them is an extension of my passion,” said McQuillin
August Miller, President of the Chess Club, also expanded his hobby similarly during the pandemic, using it as fuel for inspiration to start his club.
“Chess really helped me over quarantine. I enjoy experiencing chess with other people, and I want to help people learn a new skill,” said Miller.
Other clubs at LBCC, such as PNK, serve the community both on and off campus.
“We are a women’s social service club. We do volunteer work for breast cancer, Alzheimer’s, and women in the military,” said PNK’s second Vice President Zaida Gutierrez. “We organize marathons and beach cleanups, work the grand prix, and make care packages to raise awareness.”
Overall, the event allowed students to interact and discover something new.
Chris Gonzalez and Giselle Carillo play cornhole together after exploring the booths of Join A Club Day. Join a Club Day is an event hosted by LBCC to increase engagement with clubs in the school, helps increase exposure and let student voices be heard. (Matthew Bautista)
“Our community is a sisterhood. We want the girls to feel welcome and have a safe place to be at,” Gutierrez said.
LBCC’s next Join-A-Club event will be held on Oct. 2 at the Trades, Tech, and Community Learning Campus.
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