Join The Club
Hundreds of students gathered on Santa Monica College’s main campus quad Thursday, March 26, for a club awareness event, where dozens of clubs recruited new members.
The event brought together a wide range of student organizations, each offering a glimpse into their culture, interests and values.
Live Oaxacan and Sinaloense style music from the Bandalos Corsarios could be heard throughout the quad, and club president and musician, Arthur Guzman, spoke on the importance of representation.
“We’re here because it’s important for cultural awareness,” Guzman said, between songs. When asked about why playing this style of music was important for the students at SMC, he said, “I don’t see any of that here,” he said.
“I love the music,” said SMC student Aileen Hernandez.
Nearby, the Barber Club drew attention not only for its spin-the-wheel game offering free haircuts, but for its friendly dog, Ghost. “I want to bring people the same joy I feel when I’m with my dog,” Yusuf Hana said when asked about his companion.
Hana shared his passion for his craft, his mentors, and a little-known campus resource: a student-run salon where haircuts are available for $10.
“I love the teachers,” Hana said, “especially Miss Mange.”
At the Japanese Language and Culture Club Associations table, students focused on accessibility and support for anyone interested in the language or culture.
“We have native speakers, and new speakers,” said Vice President, Damara Powell. “If you’re in a Japanese class, feel free to come join.”
JLCA also offers hands-on help. “We can help you with your homework if you need,” she said, noting recent activities like practicing tongue twisters “to kind of help people with enunciation.”
The Geography Club offered a broader lens, encouraging students to think about land, culture and history in new ways.
“Maybe you’re into geography,” said member Kenneth Beckford, who hopes to be a city planner one day, “or you might be interested in knowing about cultures who utilized the land, such as a river for agriculture.”
For Cameron Stephenson, the appeal is his passion for maps, including their differences in scale: “there's a ton of different map projections, the common one is the Mercator projection,” he said. “It makes Greenland the size of Africa.”
The Business Club highlighted professional growth alongside learning.
“It’s a really good way to get to know other people, and connect with others who are in the same major,” said Co-President, Margareth Tjahyadikarta.
“You’re also learning from all the guest speakers that are coming in,” Tjahyadikarta said, “and learning from their experiences.”
Community-building was a central theme across the event. The Black Collegians Club emphasized connection as a foundation for student success.
“It’s so important to feel connections, and build community,” said treasurer Xenia Porter. “This just gives me more opportunities to meet people I wouldn’t necessarily run into.”
Porter also stressed awareness of campus resources. “We want to be able to make sure students know their resources, know more about the campus, more about what’s around for them. That’s so important.”
The Adelante Club echoed the value of building relationships. “That’s our goal here: for you to make new friends,” said co-secretary, Vanessa Gutierrez. “We welcome anyone,” Gutierrez says, “everyone’s opinion matters here in our club.”
“Latinos are a really part of a big part of the U.S.,” she says, noting that representation remains central to their mission and “representing where they’re coming from, and where the roots are.”
Cultural awareness was also at the forefront for a newly formed Muslim Club, sharing a table with the Middle Eastern Club. Mehdi Hidouche, displaying his father’s 50-year-old Quran, spoke about how the club, though only about 10 members strong, emphasized how even small numbers have an impact.
“If you want to join, you can learn more about Islam,” Hidouche said. “Since a lot of people don’t really talk about it out here, it’s better for us to tell you, coming from a Muslim.”
The Chabad Jewish Student Club also centered on how cultures can be marginalized through misrepresentation, and spirals of silence that perpetuate misinformation, underscoring the importance of these clubs.
“This club is important because it gives Jewish students a community, and a safe place to go to, and just feel very welcome and supported,” said President Rebecca Hauptschein.
All across the quad, students centered on a simple but powerful idea: if your culture isn’t represented, create the space yourself and invite others in.