Amanda Stepp was nervous when she set out to start the Environment and Community Outreach Club.
Running a club is an entirely new experience for her, so she didn’t know how to approach it. Even with ambition and a solid idea in mind, she felt her own self-doubt and an uncertain future holding her back.
“Realistically I thought like, ‘oh, most people would probably pass by the flyers on campus and not really look at them for too long.’ Or they’d probably be more interested in clubs that were very specific to their interests,” she said.
Despite her anxieties she persisted, working over the summer and promoting her new club to anyone who would hear her out. To her surprise, her club was met with positive reception.
37 students ended up signing up and interest turned out to be higher than she expected. It encouraged her. The ECO Club was well underway, but Stepp still had work to do before they could even start their first meeting.
One of the most important aspects of running a club is finding success at Club Rush.
A prevailing Citrus tradition, Club Rush is an event held every spring and fall semester where student-run clubs gather at the Campus Center Mall to present themselves to the student population.
The event will feature a unique, diverse set of booths that students can visit to learn about different on-campus clubs and organizations. There they’ll receive the chance to join those communities where they can pursue different interests, passions and aspirations.
It will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sept. 14 and 15.
Rosario Garcia, the Student Life Supervisor and a facilitator of Club Rush, said that they host the event because it’s a great way to help the club representatives promote their clubs. Representatives get the chance tell others all about who they are and what their clubs have to offer, which includes the types of activities and events they do together.
It’s a good way for the general student population to become aware of the different student organizations that they can be a part of.
“It’s also a great opportunity for students to make friends,” Garcia said.
Club Rush is a time of opportunity, not just for the students attending but for the club representatives and members that want to keep their clubs alive.
One of the organizations that Club Rush has been helping sustain for years is the Citrus Business Association.
The Citrus Business Association—CBA for short—is an on-campus organization that’s dedicated to helping students find success in their careers by teaching them about all aspects of business.
From career counseling and interview skills to financial literacy and networking, the CBA covers many business-related topics to cultivate the professional skills of its members through sessions, seminars and practical practice.
Though the organization is centered around the pursuit of business and those interested in business, it accepts and aids students of all majors.
They’ve been an active participant of Club Rush for 10 years and to this day it’s still considered to be a vital asset for their organization. With graduations constantly causing their numbers to fluctuate they’re always searching for new members to fill the gaps.
Participation is mostly left to the students but Jim Fischella, the advisor for the CBA, said that he’s excited for Club Rush and will look forward to meeting new students.
“We’ll bring information about CBA,” he said. “There’ll be two or three or four officers there, so they can share their experience of being in the business club. We have monthly meetings, we have outside speakers, we do workshops, we have students educating the student population about what Citrus Business Association is about.”
Club Rush also presents a huge opportunity for Stepp and the Environment and Community Outreach Club.
The ECO Club is the newest of Club Rush’s many participants this semester, having just been established in August.
“Basically, the goal of our club is to provide a consistent way for students to get more involved in their community at the environmental level, but also at the civic level,” said Stepp, who acts as the president of the ECO Club.
The ECO Club is designed to unite its members through community service and involvement. Things that they will get to do in pursuit of that goal include civil advocacy workshops, conservation work, volunteer work, nature cleanups, thrift swaps and much more.
Through this work the ECO Club seeks to rebel against isolation and hopelessness by giving its members the power to make a positive impact in the broader community, according to a club description that was written by Stepp and posted to the ECO Club’s Linktree.
Stepp said that it’ll be important for the ECO Club to attend since they’re still so new, but she is regarding Club Rush with anticipation.
“I think that Club Rush will definitely help me on a personal level. It’ll help me to get out of my shell. At the club level, I’m really hoping it’ll help us get new officers because that’s the main thing we’re looking for right now,” Stepp said.
Visitors of their booth will get to speak to her in-person and learn about everything the ECO Club has to offer. For Stepp, getting the opportunity to personally connect with other students during the recruiting process is valuable.
“I’m looking forward to talking to different students,” Stepp said.
“I think the chance to talk to people in person as they come up to the booth will make things a bit more exciting and personable and help keep my motivation to keep the club going, because I think just talking to people face-to-face is really encouraging.”
Stepp also said that she welcomes any suggestions that students might have.
Anyone who is willing to become an active part in their community is welcomed at the ECO Club.
Some things that they plan to do in the future include helping with the campus garden that Professor Peter Cross is maintaining, working with the Mt. SAC Wildlife Sanctuary and doing sustainability workshops.
A sign-up sheet for the ECO Club will be available at their booth.
Club Rush at its core aims to bring the students of Citrus College together; through shared interests, through causes, through aligned goals and passions. There are plenty of organizations like the ECO Club and the CBA who wish to welcome new members and expand the communities they’ve cultivated.
Stepp said that in the past Club Rush helped remind her that there were clubs on campus, and that she doesn’t think that she would have known about them otherwise.
“If we didn’t have Club Rush, it would be really hard,” Fischella said. “There’s no visibility.”
Club Rush is the biggest way that the clubs of Citrus can get themselves out there and grow. It’s also a great opportunity for students to learn about themselves.
“The clubs are a place of learning,” Fischella said. “And learning about yourself and learning about what kind of career should I go toward? It’s a part of self-discovery.”
Club Rush may only be two days long, but it always goes a long way to help students just like Stepp who want to keep their clubs—and the missions they stand for—alive.
“I think that talking to people one-on-one has been one of the most concrete ways to actually recruit people,” said Stepp.
“So I think Club Rush provides a really good opportunity for that.”
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