Student government officials and the Office of Student Affairs hope to use campus clubs to foster an on-campus community

On Sept. 4, the Office of Student Affairs – as part of their leadership series – held a meet and greet to bolster awareness of the clubs. They also hoped to provide information on how the Associated Student Government and the Office of Student Affairs interact with the clubs and their governing body, the ICC.

One of the aims of the event was to help club leaders understand what information and resources are available to them, so that they can more easily reach out to students and increase student involvement on campus.

This goal was held by both Lindsay Kretchman, the OSA’s Activities Coordinator, and Michael Nagtalon, the Vice Chair of the ICC.

Kretchman said the clubs offer students a bridge into college life and an opportunity for them to step out of their comfort zone.

“For most people high school can be a challenging time because they aren’t focused on what exactly matters to them, so college can be an opportunity for them to get outside of what they’re used to,” Kretchman said.

Malik Spence, ASG president, describes the importance of the clubs as a way to create a community among people who have similar interests, thus getting them more connected to Palomar College as well as their peers.

This sense of working toward a larger, more in-touch campus community permeates through ASG and members of the various on-campus clubs.

Lazarric Caldwell, an ASG senator, described the importance of clubs as a way for students to find support on campus through speaking to student experience and interest that the club members share.

Sen. Caldwell said he hopes that these on-campus communities will work together to form a larger and more accepting student body.

“Nowadays we don’t focus on why someone feels something, it’s more I feel this way and I feel different. But if we all understood each other better we can get past the differences,” Caldwell said.

He added that he hopes to see the student clubs become a place of understanding and acceptance for all students along with a way for students to get involved with campus events.

Eric Noriega, a member of the International Students club, described participating in club events as a way to “use all my positive energy.”

This being the first time the OSA has put on the Meet and Greet, Kretchman said she hopes that it will grow in participation in the future.

“Anytime I do an event for the first time students are like, ‘Eh, what is that?’” she added. “I’m thankful for those who did show up and staying for anytime they were able to spend.”