Club Rush is one of the many ways that HCC students can get involved with the campus. From clubs like Agape Christian Fellowship, to the Chess Club, to Mixed Marital Arts, and even the Student Veteran Association, students are now more than ever able to get an inside look into the clubs that peak their interests. Club Rush is a once-a-semester event that allows students the opportunity to get a hands-on look at what HCC has to offer them at large, but also what these clubs specifically are doing and what their aim is for the community.

HCC has long been a community wherein people pride themselves over their ability to have a space. Meaning, people have always felt as if they have places where they can be themselves and not worry about judgment for liking something that someone else may not necessarily enjoy. The clubs here allow students to align and surround hemselves with people that share the same ideas and interests. The Anime and Manga Club shares a common interest in what new anime is coming out, what’s being livestreamed on CrunchyRoll, and everything in between. Mixed Martial Arts club shares a common goal in wanting to further their ability and understanding or everything involved with MMA. Agape, CRU, Baha’I Peace, and the Muslim Student Union all further the theology of their respective religions – aiming to build each other up in the process. All of these things are on display at Club Rush.

When Club Rush starts, the first thing people want to do is meet the leaders of the clubs and get a full idea of what their club is about. Club Rush doesn’t just grant that ability, but makes into an event that anyone can take part in. The community comes together to show that while we all have separate clubs and do different things, the students here can feel respected and represented. If someone finds themselves enjoying something often considered niche, HCC may have a club that fits that mold. And if there’s not, the Student Government Association urges students – with a GPA of 2.0 or higher – to create a club. The eagerness of students goes above and beyond just school spirit at Club Rush, and it shows in each and every possible way.

With a Valentine’s Day theme, students were given a raffle ticket in which they had to collect five heart stamps before it was converted to an entry ticket. Students had the chance to win large prizes varying from a pack of movie snacks with a free Redbox rental, to a pack of three gift cards to local eateries in Columbia. Students were encouraged to stop by the various club tables, get information, and once a club representative felt as if they’d showed enough interest, they were given a heart sticker. While Club Rush strolled on, the Student Program Board and Student Government Association made sure that every student was both having a good time and that the clubs were able to not only connect with students, but allow the students to connect with them as well.

Club Rush brings people together in hopes that it can bring more people intot he mold. Here at HCC, the colors, the faces, the diversity, all of it is on full display during events like Club Rush. Student Government Association and Student Program Board not only helped in the process, but they made the entire evnt capture the heart of HCC and its student body – the feeling of being included.

For information on currently active clubs, how to start a club, or anything club related, please visit the Office of Student Life inside the library in CL 250 and speak to the Student Government Association. The SGA can be reached via email at [email protected] or via phone at 443.518.4573