After being forced to attend school online due to the pandemic, students are able to attend events in person at Chaffey College once again, starting with Club Rush.

By Kevin Mendoza

Clubs are a great way for students to meet new people, discover new interests, and find hobbies while they pursue their education. With the introduction of hybrid classes, students are able to attend class in-person once again. This means that students have the opportunity to join a club this semester!

On Aug. 31st, students attended the Club Rush event at the Rancho Chaffey Campus from 11 am - 2 pm located at the Michael Alexander Campus Center (MACC) area outside the cafeteria. Students were able to observe and learn about many unique clubs to see which ones they might be interested in. Throughout the event, I was able to interview Chaffey students and ask for their input and opinion on cub rush.

Chaffey student Moises Flores, Club Rush attendee, enjoyed seeing the different clubs that the campus has to offer. I asked Flores, what club seems interesting to you and why? Flores responded with,

Chaffey Student Moises Flores in front of the Game Development Club. Photo by Kevin Mendoza

“I was looking over at Game Development club and enjoyed how they teach you how to code and work with creating your own game too. I found working with computer systems and design to be interesting so the club piqued my curiosity.”

I asked Flores if he recommends that students should try out clubs throughout their college experience and if he finds them beneficial. He replied, “Being able to join clubs helps you find new peers while also getting back into the groove of socializing since most students have been online throughout quarantine. It adds to the college experience and you get introduced to a group of people you might have never met that would impact your life positively.”

Participating in a club on campus could benefit a student's life in several ways. Of the long list of clubs that were at Club Rush, one in particular caught my eye that I had never seen before, the Dungeons and Dragons club.

Image of the D&D club during club rush. Photo by Kevin Mendoza

To find out more about the club and the perspective of a club leader, I decided to talk to the club's "Dungeon Master" who preferred to be called by their game name. Dungeons and Dragons, also known as D&D, is a role-playing game where players create a fictional character within a fantasy world where they create their own "campaign" which is a storyline that can last several months. Dungeon Masters, known as DM's, are the leaders of these campaigns. They create stories around players' characters allowing them to improvise their own stories and goals.

I asked the Dungeon Master for their thoughts on Club Rush and the benefits of being in a club like the D&D club.

The DM responded, “One of the benefits of being in D&D and clubs in general, is being able to socialize with other students since the majority of students have been doing school online, having a safe space to play a new hobby with school classmates, it's a great way for students to get into the college experience and have a great time with it.”

When I asked what their opinion was on students joining clubs in college, they responded,

"Having students take clubs in college is a part of the college experience. It shows students what type of interests they have and it can help with their major. Having clubs helps students break out of their comfort zone and gives them the motivation to go to school some days. It’s a great way to find new hobbies or find other students that have the same interests as you.”

Since quarantine has been a massive barrier between students and their college experience, clubs can be a gateway for students to reclaim their campus. There are many different clubs being offered and it is a great way for students to enjoy the full potential of college life.

Club rush for what?