Get involved!

By Rochelle Rahavi
Special to Summer Forty-Niner

Film major Sari Berman, a Cal State Long Beach junior, described her first Hillel activity after a few weeks of school her freshman year as an "awakening experience."

"The first six weeks of school I didn't know anybody," she said. "After I went to Hillel, I loved life."

"My entire schedule was booked for the next semester.  It was the greatest experience for me," Berman said. "I loved being involved.

Hillel is one of approximately 250 campus groups headquartered in Student Life and Development in University Student Union 206.

The groups include honor and recognition societies, political and social action clubs, cultural clubs, religious clubs, fraternities and sororities special interest clubs and sports clubs.

Students interested in joining a club that coincides with their major can also find many organizations that meet their interests.

The individual colleges at CSULB have their own student councils with groups geared towards majors.  For example, the Associated Business Students Organization Council has about 15 business-related organizations and is composed of such clubs as the American Marketing Association, Delta Sigma Pi (honorary business administration society) and the Student Entrepreneurial exchange.  The College of Health and Human Services Student Council has about 25 organizations associated with that school.

Eighteen fraternities and 14 sororities make up what is known as Greek life on campus.  Coordinating councils from fraternities and sororities include the Interfraternity Council, the National Pan-Hellenic council, the Panhellenic council and the Order of Omega.

Cultural clubs, to name just a few, include the Afghan Student Union, Black Student Union, Latino Student Union, Cambodian Student Society, Pacific Islander Association and the Thai Students Association.

Religious clubs include the Asian American Christian Fellowship, Baha'I Club, Campus Crusade for Christ, Hillel, Later Day Saints Student Association and the Muslim Student Association.

Kim Padulo, director of student life and development, said that students find out about individual campus happenings in two ways. The first is to look on the student life World Wide Web site and second is to vist the student life office.

Through Hillel, Berman said she was exposed to another campus organization, American Israel Public Affairs Committee, and she became the club representative for CSULB.

"I've gone to two policy conferences in (Washington) D.C. In three days I saw Shimon Peres, Ehud Barak via satellite, Al Gore and George W. Bush," she said.

CSULB's interests and diversity are represented through the vast range of organizations already active on campus.  The student life staff can also help students get more involved in school and start their own clubs.

The Week of Welcome, Sept. 4-8, on the third floor terrace of the Student Union, is an organizational fair sponsored by the Associated Students Inc.  Padulo recommended that students check out this event because it's a great way to see what student life on campus has to offer.

"Because of the way the campus is laid out, there is no specific meeting place or walkway for students to congregate," Padulo said.  Week of Welcome is an occasion when all of the active clubs assemble and provide information to prospective members.

Anyone interested in joining an existing club or starting a new one can contact the Student Life and Development Office at (562) 985-4181, or visit www.csulb.edu/web/org/studentlife.