Virtually Connected: SMC Club Life
If one thing was clear from last week’s Club Awareness, hosted by the Office of Student Life, it was that COVID did not dampen student’s participation in them. A total of 15 clubs attended Thursday’s meeting to promote themselves and encourage SMC students to join. Much like many social gatherings held this past year, the event was conducted through Zoom.
Running a club virtually has been less than ideal and comes with its own set of challenges. Yet students in search of normalcy and a sense of connection have embraced making new friends in a virtual world.
Julia Lunsford, President of the Music Club, found a place “where we can just be ourselves and not worry about the pandemic so much, and just focus on having fun while being on zoom.”
Maintaining club engagement sometimes meant finding innovative ways to make online meetings interactive. Ashley Zeldin used her computer programming skills and background in the gaming industry to create games as co-vice president of the French Club.
Illustration by Carolyn Burt | The Corsair
Using digitized versions of bingo and pictionary, the club helps reinforce the words students are learning in their French classes. “I think people want to practice and want a sense of community now more than ever.” said Ashika Gogna, the club’s president.
Having a tech savvy team on their board has proven a blessing for the club, “I call them my goddess wizardesses” Ashika continued, “We actually have quadrupled the membership size.”
College clubs provide an opportunity to meet students from foreign countries and diverse cultural backgrounds. But as many international students have opted to remain in their home countries during the pandemic, varying time zones bring their own frustrations.
“Especially in an international club when board members are from different countries, I have to use the time and date converter,” said Yin Tung “Rachel” Lam, president of the International Student Forum (ISF). “I have to find a sweet spot when everyone could be up.” Undoubtedly, her flexibility and commitment to ISF saved one of SMC’s longest running clubs and ensured that it will remain active.
Amanda De La Torre from the International Education Center (IEC) understands the struggles international students like Rachel are experiencing. IEC hosts online events, such as the Weekly Mingle, every Friday in an effort to promote relationships between international students and the rest of the SMC community. Amanda notes that these events which were introduced just prior to the pandemic have actually “gained more popularity as we’ve spent more time in the remote setting.”
When asked to envision a post-COVID event most students just longed for the chance to finally see the friends they’ve made. Julia Lunsford wishes for “a big gathering where we can celebrate the glory of this pandemic being over.”
“I definitely know I will be friends with some of the people I met in the club for the rest of my life,” said Ashika Gogna of the relationships she made during COVID. In a year marked by loneliness and uncertainty, connecting to strangers, albeit remotely, provided just the right bit of solace.
