On September 6th, Calhoun Community College hosted a luau-themed club fair. The event allowed students to learn more about some of the clubs and organizations that our school has to offer. I attended on behalf of The Warhawk News and had a great time speaking to the students and faculty representing the clubs.
Ayrian Fletcher, a faculty member who sponsors the Black Student Alliance (BSA), spoke about her goals of the organization for the year: “We’re trying to encourage diversity amongst the students, and we’re wanting to just connect them with one another. We know that school can be stressful, so we encourage them to get together and do some fun things outside of the classroom. It’s just a way to decompress and also just educate people.”
I also gained a good understanding of the benefits of joining each club. Some clubs offer practical benefits, such as Calhoun’s Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) chapter. PTK member Cheyenne said, “If you’re planning on transferring to a four-year university or anything like that, they offer scholarships.” As any student knows, scholarships are a huge perk.
New organizations, such as the Neurodivergent Club, were on display, too.
When I asked Ms. Amy Dobbs, the club’s Huntsville campus advisor, to describe what students could get out of participating in the club, she said, “We’ll be able to support one another. For some people who suspect that they might have some neurodivergence, we can give them some tools and resources to help so that maybe they can understand themselves better. Also, we hope to be able to help with anything from organization to just knowing where things are at Calhoun. And then also some strategies to learn better as well.”
The clubs offered at Calhoun also allow students to engage in fun activities. One of those clubs is the Creative Writing Club. I asked one of the club’s faculty advisors, Kirsten Beasley, about some of the activities that the Creative Writing Club will be taking part in. She offered the following: “We have a few monthly workshops that are themed around different types of creative writing, so we have an upcoming poetry one, we have a fiction one, we may have a songwriting one. We’re really excited about the possibility of open-mic nights and having a showcase where all of our students will get to share their work with the public.”
Not only did I get to speak to the people involved with the clubs and organization, but I also got to talk to Raymond King, Calhoun’s Student Engagement Coordinator. I asked Mr. King about some of the benefits of students being engaged on campus. He said, “One, it helps them be engaged with their other classmates. I try to be very intentional, making sure that there are opportunities for students to make friends and maybe even find study partners. In the long run, students being involved helps them develop soft skills, which are very important for when they’re going into the workforce or trying to get into college. A lot of times, bosses look for soft skills, interpersonal relationships, conflict management, and an understanding of diversity. And then it also helps them do better in their classes. Studies show that students who are engaged outside the classroom are even more engaged and show more success during their college careers.”
It’s not too late to get involved on campus. Mr. King said that students should go to Calhoun’s website and look up activities, clubs, and organizations to get more information on all that is available on campus. He also suggested that students keep up with Calhoun’s student life page on Instagram.
After attending the luau, I’m excited to get involved here at Calhoun.