Tidepools, Inter-Club Council‘s biannual club fair, hosted its spring semester fair Jan. 23.
The fair allows student-run clubs to market themselves around Mullin Town Square to attract potential new members. Students set up their clubs at tables and showcase their achievements and work.
Inter-Club Council President Emma Carter facilitates Tidepools. Carter said that her team coordinates the budget and oversees over 90+ clubs on campus.
“We like to call ourselves the ‘clubs’ club,'” Carter said.
Tidepools gives visibility for clubs to the student body, Carter said. Many people do not know about many of Pepperdine’s clubs if they do not learn about them during Waves Expo or New Student Orientation.
ICC receives a portion of Seaver students’ Student Life Fee and uses a large portion of it for Tidepools, ICC’s main event, Carter said.
“Our entire budget goes towards students,” Carter said. “We’ve had almost double the attendees as usual this year.”
Returning Clubs
Student Alumni Organization, or SAO, is an on-campus organization that works to bring alumni back on campus to network with students.
Vice President of Operations Joell Vaca said SAO is very important to Pepperdine because the organization believes being a Pepperdine student is not just a four-year journey but a journey for the rest of one’s life.
Vaca said they aim to provide job opportunities and internships to students through panels, interviews and other events.
The organization’s mission statement is “Being a wave is a lifetime ride,” Vaca said.
Alumni have a lot to offer the student body and have a lot of knowledge, Vaca said. They are often willing to help students network and learn because they share similar values.
SAO is a great opportunity for students to jump into the workforce and connect, Vaca said. Tidepools helps his club because it provides free marketing to get the word out and in turn, get more students to events that benefit their future.
The Pepperdine Climbing Club prides itself on facilitating connections between members.
Vice President Chase Giglio said the club’s goal is to get students who might not otherwise climb to get out and start climbing. They also emphasize the community aspect of climbing as it can be dangerous alone.
“You kind of need a group of people to climb, so it’s a way for people to be able to connect and climb,” Giglio said.
Chloe Jurdana, Vice President of Marketing and Outreach, said Climbing Club could help students who do not have the gear and knowledge to go themselves.
“It is intimidating to start climbing, so we get a lot of people who want to join a group,” Jurdana said.
New Clubs
A few new clubs joined Tidepools for the first time this semester.
The Middle Eastern Student Association, or MESA, is a new club on campus highlighting students of Middle Eastern heritage to create a community of students who share similar cultures.
President Mirna Sophoclis plans to develop connections between Middle Eastern students at Pepperdine.
MESA’s goal is to bring a community to Pepperdine and help students get to know each other, Sophoclis said. They plan on having mixers with other cultural clubs to bring students together. They also plan on mixing with clubs from other schools like USC and LMU.
“Our main goal is just to bring community to Pepperdine, especially to international students,” Sophoclis said.
MESA’s first meeting was the Monday after Tidepools, featuring games and Middle Eastern food, according to Sophoclis. They plan on having guest speakers for their Era of Heritage Night to bring awareness to the club.
“As a new club, it was definitely hard to get our name out there, but many people have stopped by to ask what it was,” Sophoclis said. “I think Tidepools is very helpful to advertise our club.”
Another new club at Pepperdine is Fashion Association.
Co-Presidents Mason Woolfolk and Katerina Grabinger said they started Fashion Association to create a space for everyone to express themselves on campus. There is no fashion major or fashion design program at Pepperdine, and they wanted to find a place to come together and build a creative space on campus.
The club is open to everyone and is planning events with guest speakers and workshops, Woolfolk said. They will also host a fashion show March 21.
Grabinger developed her love for fashion at a young age, she said.
“My mom taught me how to sew when I was younger, and I started creating my own pieces over the summer,” Grabinger said. “I was also in a sustainable fashion show where they raised money for the environment.”
Tidepools has given their club a place to show everyone who they are and see people face to face for the first time, Woolfolk said.
“There’s only so much Instagram can do for us, so it’s super cool to see people face to face,” Woolfolk said.
___________________
Follow the Graphic on X: @PeppGraphic
Contact Kylie Kowalski via email: kylie.kowalski@pepperdine.edu
