On the third Thursday of every fall, winter and spring quarter, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., the De Anza College Main Quad comes alive with an energy rarely seen during the rest of the quarter — it’s Club Day.
On April 24, students navigated a maze of clubs, anticipating that they might find a community of their own on campus. Live performances provided musical ambience, from musical numbers by the Music and Volunteering Association to student band HalfPastMidnight.
Other students showcased their talent and hard work across the previous quarter, including intricately costumed and choreographed performances by KDCosmix, De Anza’s non-audition K-pop dance team.
If students do not see a club that reflects their interests, they can get in touch with the Inter Club Council, De Anza’s student-run governing body that oversees club affairs, to start their own.
Clubs must participate in campus events like Club Day to maintain an “active” status, allowing them to receive official recognition from the school and club funds.
“We (the Inter Club Council) oversee club affairs and deal with new club applications and budget requests,” said Jin Huang, 20, computer science major and chair of Inter Club Council. “If you ever want to start a new club or have any questions, come to us.”
Every quarter, the deadline to submit new club applications is before the start of the biweekly ICC meeting in the sixth week, or for the current quarter, May 12 by 1:30 p.m.
For many, clubs are at the heart of student life here at De Anza. Club experiences and communities often leave a stronger mark on students than the classes they sign up for quarter after quarter.
Clubs leaned into creative advertising techniques to draw prospective members in.
Brian Nguyen, 24, psychology major, former president and a current club officer of Tabletop Club, formerly Dungeons and Dragons Club, circled the Main Quad in a hooded cape holding up a game “dungeon master” guide and a goblin plushie he dubbed his “son, Gobbo.”
Dungeons and Dragons is a tabletop role-playing game that people can play with a group.
“Here you can become a dungeon-master and create a world for your friends to enjoy and interact as characters, who can be wizards, fighters, bards, and feature goblins,” Nguyen said.
Coming into Club Day, Nguyen had specific goals in mind, from finding new members — particularly gamemasters — to discovering and networking with new clubs. This quarter, he hopes to help facilitate more cross-club collaborations, but as a whole, his vision for the future of the club is simple.
“(We plan to) keep doing what we’re doing, really. I’m trying to get more games, get people playing, get people happy and grow our community,” Nguyen said.
On the other side of the table, some club officers have found the day a learning experience. Guramit “G” Nijjar, 20, film and television major and officer for the Hiking and Volunteering Association, describes the anxiety of recruiting members in the bustle.
“Calling people over is really hard. Getting members is really hard, you gotta socialize with all of them, you gotta connect with them. And a lot of people don’t really want to be connected,” Nijjar said.
Alexis Miranda, 22, automotive technology major and president of the Autotech Club, said he never joined a student group at De Anza prior to his current club.
Miranda joined the club after growing an interest in the automotive field and enrolling in De Anza’s automotive technology daytime program. The club is unique in that only students enrolled in the day program are eligible to join.
“I stayed in the club because I wanted to be part of something bigger on campus,” Miranda said. “I’m basically friends with most, if not everyone in this club, which is kind of cool…We spend five days (a week), five hours a day together… so there’s a sense of community and it’s almost like family since you see them so often.”
Miranda said club traditions help give his involvement a greater sense of meaning.
“The club is all about the generations of students who’ve come through and helped build what we have today … Our club cars tell the story every year, we make small changes and tweaks to make them a little better for track (racing) days,” Miranda said. “Each group leaves their mark. The club means being part of something bigger than just one year; it’s about carrying on what others started and making it even better.”
With cardboard trifolds, ringing voices and minigames, Club Day offers the promise of providing a niche for everyone. Beyond the classroom, this is the beating heart of De Anza student life, where students form communities, explore their dreams, and make memories that can last longer than those gathered from class units.
Check out Club Day coverage from this year:
“Photo Essay: Club Day returns”
“KDCosmix takes the stage”
From the archives:
“Celebrating community: Club Day unites students through diverse activities”