Brayan Ruiz-Caballero, Arts and Entertainment Editor
As we pass the one-year mark of the beginning of the Covid-19 lockdown, there are still various safety precautions that the state government and college administration enforce for our safety.
For students who are looking to be active in their community for either service hours or recommendation letters, it may be extremely difficult to organize an operation at this time.
However, a new DSC club has been able to come together “to work with any volunteer centers in the area, providing safe community service opportunities for our members,” said club President Nicole Afra.
According to the Daytona State College clubs and organizations webpage, the club’s purpose is to “allow Quanta Honors College students to come together and gain community service, improve individual health and build a stronger sense of community for Quanta members.”
Afra stated that Emerald-Go’s officers have “worked very closely with Quanta Professor Frank Gunshanan (the club’s Advisor) and Professor Benjamin Graydon, Chair for the Quanta-Honors program, to make sure all requirements are met to work with both the program and the club.”
Moreover, the club has already planned an event just weeks after having their first online meeting.
Afra explained that there is a “Beach Clean-Up scheduled for February 28th, 2021 at 10am. This is the first off-campus activity approved since Covid-19 stopped all in person events last year. (And on) March 28th, 2021, we will be having a Road Clean-up on Dunn Ave from 9am-11am.”
As for who can join the club, only students enrolled in the Quanta program can join, but that should not stop students from being inspired to start their own club—provided they get the approval from the school administration.
“DSC’s Student Life department has made the process to establish a new club on campus relatively easy—both before and during the pandemic,” said Gunshanan. “Their staff, particularly Lori Lemoine, are diligent and always willing to help students make their visions a reality. Naturally, there are guidelines to ensure that the proposed club is established and vetted correctly and fairly.”
On that note, when Emerald-Go’s president was asked about what she would recommend for students who have an idea for a school club, she responded “If I was going to give advice to other students looking to start a club right now, I would tell them to have patience but persevere.”
Hopefully, an insightful look into how community issues are solved may encourage more volunteers to put forth game-changing solutions for Daytona Beach.