A Social Bridge Between Schools: Student Clubs

Photo Credit: renegade_raunak on Instagram

Ohlone College has an extensive variety of clubs; some focus on academics, with the Ohlone Psychology Club or the Ohlone Engineering Society, while others bring together a community to bond over a unique hobby such as the Ohlone Renegade Raunak Club or the Ohlone K-Pop Club. We interviewed the top Ohlone Clubs that Alsion EC Students are involved in or we think may be interested in joining, to explore their activities, goals, and Halloween plans.

By: Kalyna Wallis and Constance Chen

Club Interview Questions:

1. What is your club about? (could be what they represent or activities that they do)
2. What are your club’s goals or aspirations for this year?
3. Are you planning any events for Halloween?
   1. What events are you planning for Halloween?

Ohlone Renegade Raunak: @renegade_raunak on Instagram

1. “Renegade Raunak is a dance club made to spread awareness and educate others about Indian culture. We aren’t just limited to Indian dance forms but want to include different genres of dance, as dance is an art form best to express and relieve people. This club will include interactions with one another at workshops we host, events we plan, and chances to make friends as well as get some exercise.”
2. “Our club’s aspirations this year are to have a successful dance workshop, host a fundraiser, and hopefully do a social mixer with students coming to interact and have a day of fun and relaxation.”
3. “We are planning our first event the week after Halloween which will commence our first workshop of the year. People coming should expect a workshop ready to immerse people in an introduction to one of the forms of dancing. This will also be a great opportunity to meet club members and officers.”

Ohlone K-Pop Club: @ohlonekpopclub on Instagram

1. “The Ohlone K-Pop Club is centered around learning K-Pop choreography and enjoying content from a variety of K-Pop groups. We want to create a space for people who are into K-pop to share their excitement for their favorites without being judged. Our club focuses on dance and every other week we do dance workshops, have trading events where people trade K-Pop photocards or other merchandise, watch parties, and much more.”
2. “One of our main goals is to host a fundraiser to be able to do some more activities that involve some spending haha!”
3. “For Halloween, we’re having a costume party and also a dance workshop but other activities like a pumpkin walk and eating too much candy!”

Ohlone Game Development Club: @ohlone.gdc on Instagram

1. “The Game Development Club or GDC focuses on the development of digital or physical games. Not all members are active in developing games. A few members are simply observing to see what the process is all about, or simply playtesting certain games and giving feedback or analysis. For the members who are interested in getting their hands in the process, we’re currently working on one minor project and one major project as a club. The minor project is a simple board game in which we use our 3D printer to print out the pieces needed, and handwritten cards.”
2. “The major project we’re working on is a 2.5D puzzle platformer game with themes on morality. It’s being developed in Unreal Engine and we’re handling it as if we’re a real studio to build experience. We have our club split up into programming, art, and design teams, each with a department head working towards a goal. That goal is to have an actual working product to show at a convention by the end of this year and have the game relatively complete by the end of the Spring semester.”
3. “As for events for Halloween, with the ever-growing awareness of gender and sexuality present within many media forms, which includes gaming, the GDC and GSA clubs are holding a joint social event for the members of both to benefit from understanding each other. We didn’t publicize this event, as it’s mostly an icebreaker for the GSA’s club members as they get together a lot less than us, but also as a bridge between two clubs.”

Ohlone Gender, Sexuality Alliance: @ohlone.gsa on Instagram

1. “The main purpose of the Genders & Sexualities Alliance Club is to support LGBTQIA+ students on campus, as well as hold different events to advocate for equality. We hold member meetings, lectures, social events, and more.”
2. “We are making sure the club will have different events and activities every two weeks.”
3. “We are co-hosting a Halloween Party with the Game Development Club, but the event will be mainly focused on members of the two clubs. The Halloween Party will be focused on having fun as people may need a party to relax after midterms.”

Ohlone Environmental Club: @ohloneenviroclub on Instagram

1. “To foster a love for the outdoors and the environment among Ohlone students, as well as expose the Ohlone student body to pressing environmental policy that we can advocate for as a large community to make change.”
2. “To further improve and encourage sustainable practices. Ohlone does an excellent job, but there are always ways to do better and we want to promote the growth of an eco-friendly campus.”

Scientific Research and Journalism Club (SJRC): @ohlone.srjc on Instagram

1. “To present and learn how to read scientific literature with scientific researchers. This club is targeted toward students who are interested in the STEM field and would like to hone their researching skills.”
2. “This year we are planning to conduct a year-long research project where we all work together to do a group research project through a series of literature reviews, and surveys to present it at an SRJC-led research conference at Ohlone!”

Friends of Children with Special Needs (FSCN): @ohlone.fcsn.23 on Instagram

1. “We aim to spread awareness, increase neurodiversity, and provide love and support toward the community of individuals with special needs.”
2. Our club works with a local non-profit organization, FCSN, to provide Ohlone students the opportunity to work with individuals with special needs and to make an impact on and off the Ohlone campus; this includes working and volunteering in FCSN facilities to better understand their work.

We hope that you are able to find a club that you want to join!