Chaffey Spring Semester Kicks Off With Food, Drums and Community

Paul Roberson has been an online student for several semesters as a kinesiology major, but he finally decided to step on campus in January for in-person classes.

As he walked through Chaffey’s “Unity in Community” celebration at the Rancho Cucamonga campus Jan. 14, learned about campus resources and listened to the music, he knew he made the right decision.

“I haven’t experienced everything at Chaffey, but what I have seen – I am in awe,” he said.

He received several bags of food, hygiene items and other supplies from the Panther Pantry earlier in the week, which he says will help him greatly as a single father.

Chaffey’s “Welcome Week” for spring included a variety of activities from transfer, mental health and financial aid workshops, to food trucks and resource fairs. Students, faculty and staff from around campus are gearing up to recruit new members for Club Rush on Jan. 28.

Student Life added a “Drum Circle” event to the Unity in Community festivities to give students a chance to bond in a unique way. SoCal Drum Party provided congas, bongos, tambourines and more for the campus to create rhythms together.

“We felt like it was a great opportunity for people to come together and make music, and it provides students with more than just resources,” said Sadie Grantham, director of equity, activities and engagement.

Taylor Dunham, who works in Student Life and is majoring in sociology and communication studies, says the “Welcome Week” activities help students make connections.

“We’re getting a lot more people coming into Student Life and playing games,” she said. “A lot of people are making friends this way.”

Nursing major Manveer Dhaliwal found her way to the quad after hearing the music and drums after class. She likes that Chaffey’s events are focused on diversity.

“The campus has a lot of events that bring people together and they include a lot of different people like international students,” she said.

Chaffey College Student Government Senator Alexis Medina, an engineering major, said that the first week of a semester can be stressful, but the activities help students get acclimated.

“It’s a vibe,” he said. “Everyone loves the energy we provide here.”