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By Laura Hernandez
By Laura Hernandez
You go to class, hit the library and get your class work done in order to leave quickly. It sounds like a familiar routine to many who would like to spend the least amount of time necessary on the Riverside Community College campus. Then there are those students who stick around and meet new people, involve themselves in school activities and add fun to the routine. The amount of students involved in clubs on campus seems incredibly low for the high number of students that actually attend RCC. “For some students it is more than they can handle,” Richard Mahon, Assistant Professor of Humanities said.Many things factor in to club involvement, such as time, interest and priority. “I am just too busy,” student Lloyd Feng said. Many students share this sentiment with Feng. Trying to hold down a job and maintain good grades in class is more than enough for many. “Clubs just seem like a high school thing,” student John Paul Perez said, “I am thinking about joining only to look good for transfer.”Levels of interest vary and many students are just not interested enough. In Perez’s case, the interest is not about a club in particular, but what it will do for him in the long run. That is not to say, however, that there are not a good number of students readily involved in clubs. Some clubs show higher involvement than others, but each has its group of supporters. “Involvement is proportionate to how much benefit the club gives to students and the community” said student Joshua Cool. As Vice President of Alpha Gamma Sigma, Cool believes it that it is silly not to be in a club, but also understands that it may not be for everyone. Students tend to be more likely to join if they already have friends in a particular club.”There is a major difference between residential and commuter schools,” said Mahon. “Residential schools, like many UCs, give students the chance to meet a lot of people and form a social network that encourages club involvement. Where there is a residential component there is likely to be more club involvement.”The hesitance to join a club may spur from the fact that every member is a stranger. Yet the only way to remedy such a problem is to become involved and create a social network. “People at RCC would not meet each many others if they do not join clubs. It’s about meeting people with common interests,” said student Renee Colquette, member of the Queer Alliance. She is not the only student who feels this way. “We recruit our friends,” Cool said. “Students are definitely more likely to join if they have friends in the club.”It may seem contradictory to say that you need to join a club to meet new people, but that you recruit your friends to join, but it is really not. The idea is to meet new people and lots of them. School should be about a lot more than just studying.”Clubs or activities that bring people together and give them a chance to get to know each other are a good thing” Mahon said.