By An Nguyen

One of the important things a college student can do is to get involved with student organizations at their school. COVID-19 made that a challenge this year, but with restrictions lifting, organizations on campus are gearing up for next fall.

There are a variety of clubs and organizations at A-State such as political, cultural, academics, media and publication, theater, religious and spiritual organizations. Involvement improves the college experience and helps to build connections.

If a student is Japanese, they should definitely consider joining the Japanese Student Organization. Their purpose is to spread awareness and appreciation of Japanese culture to A-State students, according to Amine Ghoorchiyani, JSO president.

The organization consists of a president, vice president, an accountant and two press secretaries. Monthly meetings are held to discuss proposals for next month’s event. 

“We decide what activities and foods we should provide based on what actually happens or eat in Japan during that month,” Ghoorchiyani said. 

Everyone comes to the meeting with some ideas and they vote on what to do.  The president usually books the place and decides the time of the event. The accountant is responsible for all the money they have or spend for each event. Press secretaries take care of advertising events or culture on their Instagram page (jso.astate). International and American students can know more about Japan and its cities this way.

Similar to JSO, the Vietnamese Student Association has the same mission: to bring Vietnamese and other students together and promote their culture and traditions.

Dzung Dang, VSA vice president, shared that he had some plans in mind, such as organizing a cookout for students, like the Vietnamese Sandwich event they just had.

“Except on a larger scale,” said Dang.

The organization has a president, a vice president, a PR & social media coordinator, a content writer, an event coordinator and a graphic designer. 

Dang said that they have not planned that far out for the summer and fall, but there will definitely be a Pho Night in November, a fundraiser for a selected nonprofit organization, such as St. Jude, in which they sell tickets for guests and serve some of the most famous Vietnamese dishes.

South Korea is a country with a long history and culture. For the purpose of improving the academic level of Korean students and promoting friendship between Koreans and A-State students in general through various social gathering activities, the Korean Student Association was founded.

The group includes a president, a vice president, a public relation coordinator, an event coordinator and a media coordinator. The number of current members is 35, including faculty members.

Due to COVID-19, events are limited but plans are being discussed to popularize the Korean culture to students, following Seoungyeop Lee, KSA president.

Event ideas and proposals are collected from within the association by executives. If the size of the occasion is vast, consultations from faculty members are needed.

KSA is presently planning on organizing an event in the fall, according to Lee.

If your passion is to be involved in the media and reporting, joining the Society of Professional Journalists is not a bad idea. 

SPJ’s Code of Ethics includes seeking the truth and reporting it, minimizing harm, acting independently, and being accountable and transparent, according to Courtney Edwards, SPJ president.

“So with that, I think SPJ’s purpose is to encourage journalists to make ethical decisions,” Edwards said. 

SPJ also tries to educate journalists on new skills and innovations in journalism.

Terrance Armstard, SPJ advisor, is planning to host a “Pulitzer Prize Winning Photo Showcase” in June. Pulitzer Prize winning photos in honor of the 2021 Pulitzer Prize Award Ceremony will be shown and spoken about. Invitation is open to the public, and it is going to take place both in person and on Zoom. A date and time for the showcase are to be announced.

Sister 2 Sister is one of the organizations on campus that focus on students of color in general and women in particular. S2S carries a big mission: to help African American women stay motivated and engaged during their college career.

“We do that by providing our members with resources to help them achieve high academic achievement, volunteer opportunities, a mentoring program, and overall encouraging them to support and uplift each other so they can freely express themselves,” said Giana McKinney, S2S president.

The organization’s executive board has a president, a vice president, mentor coordinator, secretary/treasurer and media and marketing director. The number of members has exceeded over 65 students.

Monthly meetings and events for members include different activities such as game or movie night depending on their opinions. 

The mentoring program is an important part of S2S. Upperclassmen and underclassmen are paired together based on major and interests. Faculty members participating will also be paired with upperclassmen, therefore everyone has a mentor and some have a mentee, according to McKinney.

S2S finished the semester with the End of the Year Ceremony where rewards were given to the best mentor, mentee, most volunteer hours and most involved member.

Categories: Life