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news:
club profile
Coalition provides
family-type atmosphere, culture
By Ben Dimapindan
Daily Forty-Niner
Amid such a large
campus, most students would enjoy finding a nice place to
meet with a close set of friends -- reminiscent of the comfort
of home. For nearly 400 Cal State Long Beach students, the
Pilipino-American Coalition is that place.
The PAC is a place
where friendship, academics, cultural awareness and community
service come together and form one extended organization for
students of various ethnic backgrounds
"One primary
function is to create a close-knit family," said Mickey
Gregorio, president of PAC. "Everybody is leaving their
families, coming here to school, and this creates a better
atmosphere for people to get to know each other."
The PAC was established
in 1971 by 13 CSULB students and has grown into a very active
and respected organization within the Filipino community.
"In the beginning
of the year we had Friendship Games, where all the Filipino
groups from different colleges get together and promote spirit,
pride, unity and friendship," Gregorio said. "Long
Beach [PAC] is a really big factor in the whole thing; I guess
we give a lot of the personality for what Friendship Games
are known."
In addition, PAC
prides itself on its ability to offer members a myriad of
benefits socially, culturally, academically, professionally
and community-wise, according to PAC Treasurer Richie Cruz.
While the social
aspect encourages close bonds among members, the academic
function of PAC entails older members providing the younger
members with sufficient tutelage in classes that present the
most difficulty.
Culturally, the
club's activities for the entire year culminate in the annual
Pilipino Culture Night, or PCN, which is a play that showcases
traditional dances and music.
"Being a PAC
member is really about friendships, knowing your history and
pushing those two things forth to show the beauty of Filipino
culture," Cruz said.
In the professional
sense, PAC members perceive the organization as an outlet
for creativity that caters to their personal goals beyond
college.
"For me, it
[PAC] helped me with my networking skills and it's given me
a lot of opportunities to find talent that I knew I had, but
gave me an avenue for practice and refinement," PAC member
Wes Santamaria said. "For example, I wrote and directed
the script for PCN. I've always been into writing, but I never
knew I could display my writing in theatrical form. PAC has
given me that opportunity to write and direct, which is something
I might consider doing in my future."
Although members
receive much from being associated with PAC, the heart of
the organization lies in what these students contribute and
give back to the community. PAC is currently planning a fundraiser
for the Justice for Filipino-American Veterans, whose members
served for American forces during World War II.
"The community
supports us and without them we wouldn't really exist, so
we try to give back wherever we can," Gregorio said.
The doors of PAC
remain wide open to welcome all CSULB students hoping to find
a place and participate in the club's lively and ongoing activities.
"The best
part about being in PAC is everything: the friendships that
you make and the lessons that you learn," Santamaria
said. "As long as you like to have fun, you're going
to find a home here."
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