Every student at California Baptist University has unique interests in which he or she partakes. Some students knit in their free time, while others enjoy picking up a Jane Austen novel. Whatever the preference, CBU probably has a club that will cater to it.
The Club Fair on Jan. 31 offered a forum for CBU students to showcase these clubs and their activities, so they might be able to increase membership. Students have the opportunity to take part in a number of clubs, including Architecture Club, English Club, Latin Club, Pre-Veterinarian’s Club, Math Club and, even, Hammock Club.
Senior English major and president of the English Club Caleb Garcia has been a part of the group for two years, and he said the Club Fair has been helpful because students would not know that the club exists without it.
The Club Fair draws in quite the crowd, with a promise of games and prizes, in addition to the opportunities to interact with students who have similar interests.
The clubs around CBU do not exclusively exist to provide students with an outlet for their hobbies; they also provide a platform for groups who wish to promote a cause.
Run For One is a race to raise awareness of human trafficking. Shawnna Martinez, junior marketing major, said she is hoping to get students involved. In the days prior to the event, the Recreation Center and the Office of Community Life are partnering to help students get prepared to run the race.
They will be hosting training sessions to get participants in shape. Martinez said the Club Fair was a great opportunity to promote the cause and let students know about their efforts.
“As much as we use social media, people still don’t understand or they don’t read it, so being able to talk to them helps so much because you can answer their questions,” Martinez said.
The clubs CBU offers also encourage students to hone their various talents outside of class. The Art Club started about a year and a half ago, after a group of art majors determined that they wanted to practice skill-building outside the classroom.
Kristine Lippire, assistant professor of visual art, is the adviser for the Art Club and she aids students in skill building techniques such as stencils and prints. The club gives students time outside of class to practice these particular skills.
The Art Club hosted an activity at the Club Fair where students could come and design reusable Starbucks cups. Students responded quickly to the activity and their inventory dwindled to nothing.
