The Academic Learning Center provides information on the services they offer to students at their table during NW Campus’ club event, Northwest Fest.
Clubs set up booths to entice students to join as they browse the various options at SE Campus’ Club Expo event.
By Carla Rivera/reporter
Clubs at TCC bring students together and allow students to gain experience from working as a team. Students make friends and network because they join clubs they are interested in and share similar interests.
“We have a little over 40 clubs, and more starting every day,” said Alicia Coleman, NW student development associate. “Clubs vary from sports to scholarly and shared interests to politics.”
Every semester, each campus has an event where students can sign up for clubs and learn about how many are offered on their respective campus.
Depending on the club, they meet either weekly, biweekly, annually and even digitally.
In Phi Theta Kappa, membership is invitation-only.
Ralph Tobin, NE general continuing education instructor, zones in on his clay creation during this year’s Club Rush event in the South Hallway at NSTU.
“Invitations are sent to students that have earned a GPA of 3.5 or higher in the previous academic semester and had to have been registered in at least 12 credit hours during the previous semester,” said club sponsor Peter Doas. “Students must also have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.”
Other clubs have no official requirements, just an interest in the field, such as the Communications Club.
“We try to do community service, and we help with events and speech tournaments,” NW student and club member Alejandra Barrera said. “We do speech workshops for students.”
Clubs allow students to network with faculty and other students. Personally knowing professors can be beneficial when it comes to writing recommendations for transferring between schools or for job references.
“We can plug people in with our department to gain experience on campus,” said Ava Jenkins, communications club sponsor.
Being in a club allows for students to understand how to work with a team and run an organization, while also getting to know new people.
South Campus students Gordon Dean and Kameron Ray browse a catalog from Midwestern State University while attending the campus’ yearly Club Rush event.
“I knew I would get nervous with people, and it has really helped me. Last night I was able to talk to a huge group of people,” said Alma Niño, Communications Club member.
In addition, Phi Theta Kappa chapter president Carlos Monsante said members gain self-confidence to speak up and stand for what they believe in.
Not only do members earn skills in Phi Theta Kappa, but members can earn scholarships for four-year schools.
“The previous president received a full tuition paid scholarship to SMU Dallas as a result of her involvement with PTK,” Monsante said.
