It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that if no one is on campus, no one is in clubs.
Dallas College’s outdated website boasts a list of 25 active clubs for the Eastfield campus, but in reality, the sun has set on most of these organizations. When everyone flew the coop for COVID, most clubs followed suit.
Out of 50 students surveyed on campus, nearly 80% were aware of clubs but only five were actually part of a club or organization. From this data, it’s clear that it isn’t a lack of awareness that’s keeping clubs closed off. Some students just have other priorities.
“I’m trying to concentrate on my schoolwork,” said computer science major Stefan Amador. “I can get to clubs eventually.”
Student Life Coordinator Luis Sanchez is hopeful for the future of campus culture. Sanchez says there are about 16 active clubs and organizations on campus. Some of the clubs are even fairly new.
“Recently, I had a music club and a performing arts society,” Sanchez said. “The one that’s been the most popular is the Dungeons and Dragons [club].”
DnD Club member Leo Mendez said that he liked the game, but only joined because a member persuaded him.
From DnD to SGA (Student Government Association), there’s something for everyone at Eastfield.
Lawson Collins, a member of the Male Achievement Program, enjoys the environment and the people and appreciates all of the help and resources from his adviser, Anand Upadhyaya. African Student Union member Juanita Adimnikem joined simply because it would look good on her resume.
“I like to be in stuff,” said Adimnikem. “I like to be engaged.”
And according to a study by Mark Furda and Michael Shuleski, that’s the best way to be. They found that on average, participants in extracurricular activities not only had a more positive outlook on school but also had higher GPAs.
Students wanting to find out more about clubs can attend a club fair in the Hive usually held at the beginning of the semester or visit Sanchez in C216D. For those who don’t see anything that interests them or just want to start a club of their own, Sanchez says “It’s a really easy process.”
First, there need to be six Dallas College students interested in forming the club. From there, they fill out a recognition form and create a club constitution, or a set of rules the organization will follow. The last step is to find a full-time staff or faculty member to act as the club’s adviser.
Jakyria Minor says being active in a club is a great way to make friends and socialize with others who have similar interests.
“I wanted to join something where I could be surrounded by other girls and learn about work-life-school balance,” Minor said about the Women’s Empowerment Network. “It provides a space to calm down about everything and get a little mental break.”
Sanchez also sees clubs as a way to keep students on campus.
“It’s a good retention tool,” says Sanchez. “A lot of kids go to class and straight up leave. I feel like you need that extra thing to make you wanna come back. It could be something fun, something that interests you. Something that people look forward to coming back to school for.”
— Reporter Dayanara Moreira contributed to this report.
