Photos by Ralph Freso
The spring semester started with the most student clubs ever on campus – 125.
So a trip through Grand Canyon University’s Spring Club and Community Fair, held Wednesday at the Canyon Activity Center, is always enlightening on trends and interests among college students.
Student clubs thrive because students who are looking for friends find a community in the regular gatherings, Student Engagement leaders say.
These clubs that are new in the last year or so have their own reasons for forming.
Some clubs form out of shared identity.
The GCU Asian, Asian American, Pacific Islander Student Association formed in the last couple of years and includes many students from Hawaii.
Food is a big draw, so much so that Dylan Ancheta, who describes himself as the club’s “cook,” even got Arizona-certified for food preparation. He’s helped make katsu (Hawaiian), sinangag (Philippines) and Korean chicken at gatherings last fall.
The Native American Club is just forming with four officers, including president Crystal Lomayestewa, who said she couldn’t find friends when she first arrived on campus from the Gila River Indian Community. She realized that many other Native Americans are also away from their home, often remote areas with a lot of family and traditions and are adopting to new cultural norms. So she helped start a club for all different tribes to share their culture and embrace community.
“We are all one,” Lomayestewa said.
She looks forward to meeting others and learning new traditions but also talking about the Christian aspects of the tribes. “We are often overlooked,” she said. “But we are still here.”
Others just like to run.
The Lopes Run Club is a new club for the more relaxed, fun side of fitness. They dress up for themes, such as SpongeBob or '90s night. A popular one was the single-or-taken run, when single runners wore black. But really it’s a fun run, with breaks built in the 3-mile jog around campus.
“I don’t even know how to run, and I’m the vice president,” said Lorenzo DeViro, who joined at the urging of a buddy.
Now he even knows how to run.
Or to eat.
For one club, it’s all about eating – and cooking. Spoon University GCU, a chapter of spoonuniversity.com, shares recipes for a new generation of cooks.
Club president Hannah Warren said the group loves to get together and cook or visit local restaurants. Bringing favorites that remind them of home is a big hit.
Hers? The Idaho Falls, Idaho, family’s patented spaghetti sauce, as well as casseroles. Now those are self-described foodies with comfort in mind.
The spring semester club event also included a fair outside for information on becoming student leaders who do significant work of campus organizations, such as the Canyon Activities Board with its 50 student leaders.
Grand Canyon University senior writer Mike Kilen can be reached at [email protected]
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