Chaffey College Club Rush Helps Students Find Their Community

Adorned with a black forehead horn and lavender hair, Liliana “Yuri” Black came dressed to impress. The graphic design major had one mission: to recruit new members for Chaffey’s Anime Club.

“I’m cosplaying as Shion from ‘That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime,’” they said.

The club plans to host anime watch parties, play trivia games and hold fundraisers to go on trips to anime conventions and Little Tokyo.

It was one of 40 chartered and unchartered clubs that gathered on Aug. 26 for Club Rush, a twice-per-year tradition that draws students for an afternoon of shared interests and community. From Latin dance and Christianity, to astronomy and mixed martial arts, around 1,000 students had a wide variety of clubs to choose from to build connections outside of the classroom.

Songs by K-Pop artists Stray Kids, Aespa and Le Sserafim played on a Bluetoot speaker as Nevaeh Nelson and her fellow K-Pop Club members showed off their dance moves, and displayed idol trading cards and CDs. 

It’s a new club to Chaffey and one that Nelson felt that students would enjoy.

“We all want to feel like we belong somewhere,” the nursing major said. “College can feel stressful, so it’s good to unwind for an hour every week with people who have similar interests.”

Professor of Math Rosa Davila, serving as faculty advisor for the Puente Math and Science Club, said students had approached her about having a club dedicated to supporting Puente students in their math and science coursework.

“Some students find math and the sciences intimidating so we’re here to get them excited about those subjects through various activities on campus,” Davila said.

Students from the Pokémon Club spread trading cards across their table, and let visitors take their pick.

“We teach people how to play the card game and we walk around the campus playing Pokémon Go,” said English major Jess Hernandez.

Professor of History Ian Baldwin, faculty advisor for the Lavender Coalition, said it’s especially important for students from marginalized communities to find their community, and Club Rush is just one event that Chaffey hosts to help students find others with similar interests and identities.

“It’s good for them to know that they are welcome here,” he said.