Benefits of Joining a Science Club
Wouldn’t it be great if you could meet people with similar interests, network and make friends, do fun stuff, and learn about career options? You can, because those are all benefits of belonging to a student club. In the College of Science there are over 20 clubs with a wide range of interests from optics and photonics to zoology.
The Science Council oversees clubs and plans some college-wide events such as club rush, science week, lunch with professors, and an annual Halloween festival.
“The objective of the Science Council is to establish a community which fosters student success through encouraging collaborative leadership, providing resources, and demonstrating the enjoyable aspects of university life.” – Science Council Website.
The 2021-2022 president of the Science Council is math graduate student Keshet Weinstein. She helped start the math club Sophie’s Circle which became an official club in 2019. The club’s mission is to support women in mathematics and other STEM fields and is a chapter of the Association for Women in Mathematics.
“I’ve liked math since the fourth grade when we had a project on finding the area of a room. Math is like a puzzle and I love puzzles,” Weinstein said. “Math is beautiful in so many different ways. I’m not the smartest person in math class. It’s a challenge. My professors provide so much moral support. As a master’s student, I feel that I’m part of the math community, a community that’s very supportive.”
Weinstein is a graduate teaching associate and will teach trigonometry this fall. She’s also a math instructor for Harvey Mudd’s Upward Bound program. In spite of her busy schedule she found the time last year to help Science Council with their Trivia Night events and setting up and managing their Discord. In a virtual environment, Discord’s been an essential part of the Science Council and science club’s success.
The Council plans to keep their fall events virtual. Some events will require a creative approach, for example, the council is considering sending event participants cookie dough for a baking event. They’re looking into the use of DoorDash. ASI came up with an innovative solution which can provide a credit for a specified time period (coinciding with an event).
Clubs hold their own events throughout the year some of which include guest speakers and networking with potential employers. Weinstein points out that the teamwork and communication skills gained by being a member of a club are important to employers.
Weinstein finished by adding that in addition to all the opportunities clubs provide,
“It helps having someone to talk to so you don’t feel isolated. It makes the struggles a little easier. You’ll find people who are having the same experience. It’s about community building.”
To find out what clubs are available in the College of Science come to the Club Fair on Thursday August 26 or Friday August 27 from 7:30-8:30 p.m. The fair will be hosted on Discord. Please sign up for the link at: http://tinyurl.com/scfcf
For more information about clubs, you can also visit: http://www.cppsciencecouncil.com/ . If you’re interested in starting a new science club contact OSLCC for the requirements.
