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More to student
life than homework
By Clayton Wood
Special to the On-line Forty-Niner
It wasn't until
eight years after high school that Tyrone Robinson was introduced
to Cal State Long Beach's Student Life and Development, an
organization whose mission is to develop and implement a multitude
of out-of-classroom programs and services.
Robinson is now
a program assistant for the Program Council, a group that
promotes on-campus movie sneak previews, concerts, the poet's
lounge and other marketable events, explains how, "one
needs to be involved in something on campus." He feels
if a student fails to explore the plethora of clubs and events
offered by CSULB, it's hard for them to explore unknown aspects
of themselves.
Although Robinson
says the program's ultimate goal is to help educate CSULB
students about cultural awareness, leadership and positive
social change, he feels most importantly the organization
played a key role in helping him to refine his own future
career aspirations.
After a brief stint
at El Camino Community College and earning a degree in electronics
from ITT Technical Institute, it was a few years before the
then 26-year-old Robinson decided to return to CSULB in spring
1998. He began studying for a major in black studies and a
master's degree in counseling studies in higher education.
There he was introduced through Student Life and Development
to multiple clubs including the National Pan-Hellenic Council
and the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity where he became their first
ranked chapter vice president.
"The Student
Life and Development program helped me to get involved with
social functions as well as develop bonds with my fraternity
brothers," Robinson said. "It allowed me to keep
an open mind to future exits of professionalism."
Each year, Student
Life and Development centrally promotes roughly 300 clubs
and organizations on campus that range from departmental related
to cultural, social, political, religious and even sport-oriented.
According to Anna
Nazarian-Peters, a coordinator for Student Life and Development,
recruitment is left up to the students themselves. She adds
that when a student approaches the program, a consultation
is administered to provide assistance and referrals to university
resources.
"We are, however,
very involved with orientation during SOAR [Student Orientation
Advising and Registration] where new students can interact
with departmental heads, possibly discovering potential career
fields," Nazarian-Peters said.
Reflecting on Robinson's
experience through the program, he added which students he
feels would benefit from its possibilities.
"This program
(Student Life and Development) gets a student involved in
the entire college experience," Robinson said. "There
are so many different clubs that while not only adding to
your resume, it opens interests you never know you had."
To find out more
information or to speak with a Student Life and Development
counselor, one may contact their offices at (562) 985-4181
or visit them online at www.csulb.edu/org/studentlife.
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