Clubs and Organizations give students a chance to share interests

By Paul Ochoa | Pulse Staff Reporter

Palo Alto College has 22 established clubs and organizations, and students have the option to join more than one. These groups give students the opportunity share to the same interests and even make friends along the way.

Carmen Velasquez, director of Student Engagement and Retention, said, "We guide students to find a faculty or staff member to be a supervisor of the group...We have a minimum requirement of 10 students to make a club official."

The groups get $500 to help them get started. PAC also offers supplies or anything that they need to get the club going. This is funded from the Student Activity Fee, which is based on how many students are enrolled at the school.

Evangeline Velez-Cobb, Spanish professor and advisor of the Study Abroad Club, said, "The club is about educating/informing students about the opportunities available to study abroad. The students who join the club do not necessarily have to be traveling anytime soon. This is the first semester for the Study Abroad Club. We had many sign up at the Club Rush, so we hope to expand on the club in the Spring of 2013.”

Every group starts with a professor or staff as supervisors, then students take the lead for the group. Students start recruiting other students during Palo Alto's Club Rush and during the semester. The group's direction takes off from there. The group decides where they will meet, what kind of activities will be involved, and what they want to accomplish.

Alyssa De La O, a sophomore Communications major, is a member of Chi Alpha Epsilon. She said, "We do community service with other groups for the school. It’s fun because you’re in a group of people having the same goal of higher education. Being part of a group is fun because you get to meet new people."

Many students know about the groups at PAC. One problem is that students are too busy with work or homework. They aren’t able to join a group during the academic year. Some students just may not know what the school provides in terms of groups.

Celeste Frausto, a sophomore Kinesiology major, is a member of Tri-Beta Biological Honor Society. She said, "I’m the president of the group. We promote science, knowledge. We are taking a trip to check to see chemicals and how they work together...It’s important to have a strong leader in the group. I have to inform my group of everything we do on daily basis. It's fun because it's science, and it's also a credited group."

For more questions, visit OSER’s office in the Student Center, Room 124, or you may contact Carmen Velazquez at (210) 486-3130.