Members of the Art History Student Society smile in picture frames at the club fair Sept. 8. Students visited the table to learn what it means to be a member of the club.
Photos by Mercer Greene
The student clubs of Pepperdine returned in waves at the annual Tide Pools event on campus Sept. 8 from 1 to 5 p.m. Last year, students attended the event on Zoom, but this year they were able to get a glimpse of each club in person.
The Inter-Club Council hosted over 90 different student clubs and organizations to help students get connected to campus life after a year of online schooling. There were four main categories of clubs for students to get involved in, student-led ministries, Greek life, Intercultural Affairs and service and social action.
Pepperdine offers a wide variety of student-led organizations to connect students with peers who have similar interests. The various clubs set up tables in Mullin Town Square where members were able to welcome and give information to interested students.
“After being online for so long, coming to this event and seeing all the clubs in person really helped me find a sense of community and helped me find all the little communities inside the big community itself,” said sophomore Kaitlyn Lingis.
One club new to campus this year is the Women in STEM Club. STEM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Junior Jessica Velicer, club founder and president, said she started the club in response to the lack of support for women specifically in STEM.
“We really want to be the backbone for females at Pepperdine who might not otherwise have that,” Velicer said. “We really want to provide a safe place that encourages women in STEM.”
As a Chemistry major, Velicer is a woman in STEM herself and said the club introduced her to a multitude of new experiences. She hopes it impacts others the way it impacted her.
The Feminist Club was new to Pepperdine this past year. Senior Feminist Club President Ivy Leroux said their main goal is to educate others about feminism and find ways to help outside organizations spread awareness. The Feminist Club also partners with different fraternities and sororities to speak with members about what feminism is and how they can support it.
Students said they look forward to being a part of clubs that are making a difference for women on and off-campus.
“The idea is to empower women and men on campus and to get rid of some of the negative connotations that surround feminism,” Leroux said.
Food Recovery Network had a table at the club fair as well. Dawnielle Wright, president of the Food Recovery Network chapter at Pepperdine, said the club is a campus outreach organization that recovers food waste from places on and off-campus. The club partners with organizations like Malibu C.A.R.T. and local churches who then distribute the recovered food to people experiencing homelessness. Wright said the club is a national organization, allowing for other groups nationwide the chance to offer unique volunteer opportunities for students in the club.
One of the more philosophical-based clubs on campus is the Veritas Club. Daron Excel, vice president of Veritas, said the club’s name means “truth” in Latin. Fittingly, Excel said most meetings consist of the students debating topics related to truth. The members usually discuss philosophical questions like “How can people know God exists?” or “Are science and religion compatible?”
“We can explore truth together and discuss questions of faith,” Excel said. “Our ultimate aim is to understand what truth is, what it is we are striving for and what is the meaning of all this.”
The Tide Pools event showcased the organizations that are available for students to join at Pepperdine. Students can join the clubs by contacting their mailing list or through The Peppervine. On the website, students can find information about the many organizations Pepp has to offer — students can sign up, find important dates and get a summary of each club.
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Email Lydia duPerier: Lydia.duperier@pepperdine.edu
