By Yasmeen Salama / Asst. News Editor , Felix Pineda / Asst. News Editor
By Yasmeen Salama / Asst. News Editor , Felix Pineda / Asst. News Editor
With the aroma of funnel cake in the air, and Matt Shockley’s music playing in the background, club rush opened up another semester in the A.G. Paul Quadrangle on March 1.
Club rush has helped student organizations recruit new members for many years.
Some of the clubs, including Gender and Sexuality Awareness Club and Active Minds, focus on raising awareness of a social issues. But other clubs, such as the Karate club and the Science and Engineering Association are designed to attract students of similar interest. Others still are more interested in helping students or the community.
Brad Day a student who joined the community service-focused club Alpha Gamma Sigma at club rush on opening day.
“It seemed like something you could do to help out,” said Day. “It’s here and now, so I might as well do it here and now.”
Though there has been a small increase in participation, Associate professor/coordinator of student activities Deborah Hall said she would love to see it grow even more.
“It’s really a good way for students to give back to their community,” said Hall.
For 18 years Hall has been an RCC faculty member, she said that club rush has not changed much and continues to be the most effective means of acquiring new recruits.
“It benefits a lot,” said Sabreen Mohammad, a member of the Muslim Student Association. “We get a lot of new members this way.”
“We get to tell people what we’re all about,” said Merissa Taylor of the Feminists Unite club.
Some of the clubs would even like to take their causes to a whole new level.
Secretary of Feminists Unite, Jackie De Paz, said that the club’s goal is to start a women’s center on campus to aid and support struggling women.
GSA would like to work with the faculty to include discrimination laws in student syllabi.
Not all students were as appraising of the event.
With over 40 organizations on campus, a little more than half attended to represent their clubs. Despite this turn out, some students commented on not seeing any clubs of interest.
“Not enough clubs really participate to get my attention,” said Sunny Thai.
Clubs were very pleased with the amount of new members.