Santa Rosa Junior College’s Club Day wrapped up the semester with a “Swingin’ Into Summer” celebration, bringing students, clubs and the community together for fun activities, Kona Ice snow cones, free booth goodies and food in the Bertolini quad on April 29.
The student-led events, held four times throughout the semester, allow students to explore campus clubs, connect with club leaders and get more involved on campus through interactive activities and engagement opportunities. Wednesday’s event marked the final Club Day of the semester, closing with an end-of-semester celebration that also encouraged students to wear denim in recognition of denim day, a national awareness effort for supporting sexual violence prevention.
Club Day serves as one of the main student involvement events on campus, giving student-led clubs the chance to recruit new members and showcase what they offer to students and the campus community.
Among the clubs that participated were student groups that focused on mental health, community support and advocacy. The Students for Recovery club hosted a booth providing goodie bags with harm-reduction resources and a supportive space for students navigating addiction, recovery and mental health challenges.
“We try and serve everyone, from people who have years of recovery, to people who are sober curious, to people who just want to experience what they want to experience in a safe environment,” said club representative Luis Luviano.
Representatives also distributed harm-reduction materials separately, such as Narcan, fentanyl testing strips and safety kits, along with educational information on their use.
“Being able to serve the community provides a feeling of fulfillment that I’ve never found anywhere else,” Luviano said. “I think that’s a common theme with the addiction community, we find that when we serve others, we actually end up serving ourselves more.”
Luviano said Club Day helps the group connect with students and reduce the stigma around addiction and mental health.
The Second Chance club focuses on supporting formerly incarcerated students as they transition into higher education.
“Our job here on campus is to create a seamless transition between incarceration and education,” said Sebastian Reyes Cuevas, club president.
Reyes Cuevas said the club provides a space where students with shared lived experiences can connect and feel supported through their journey. He also shared that Club Day helps his club reach students who may not be aware they qualify for the program.
The SRJC MEChA student organization attended Club Day, bringing their focus on Chicano and Latinx empowerment, education and activism on issues such as education, immigration, cultural education and others to attendees.
“MEChA stands for our students, so if you’re someone who likes to organize and help people, then this is the club for you,” said club president Esperanza Marquez.
MEChA is a student-led organization with over 500 chapters throughout California, Nevada and Arizona. The group hosts community events, cultural celebrations and the MEChA Youth Conference, which provides workshops, keynote speakers and other resources for underrepresented high school students.
Marquez said misconceptions about who can join can affect participation and recruitment at events like Club Day; she discussed the club’s higher focus on students’ well-being.
“Yes, we focus on our Latinx, Chicano and Hispanic communities, but we stand for everybody,” said Marquez. “We will always promote the well-being of our students first.”
She also mentioned a mental health petition the club is organizing in response to a suspension of the therapist training program, where 10 to 12 therapists will be reduced to two therapists with the possibility of a third starting in summer 2026.
Transit Access club members handed out candies, pins and stickers representing their club and its mission to improve transportation access for students across SRJC campuses.
Chelsea Bergin, club president, cited the club’s desire to raise “[b]asic safety and awareness about the equity of transit in California and Sonoma County, because a lot of times [students] don’t have another option.” She added, “To penalize them for being late to class, or any other reason, is inequitable because they don’t have a choice.”
The club works with transit agencies and administrators to address issues such as limited night service and long walking distances between transit stops and college campuses.
“Access to transit is access to education, access to occupation, access to health and access to life,” said Theva Gru Jepsen, club treasurer.
They said Club Day helps them gain more support from both clubs and students while raising awareness about student transportation barriers. Bergin also noted the club collecting student signatures in support of a letter advocating improved transit services.
Students who attended Club Day said the event offered a chance to explore campus clubs and connect with new interests before the end of the semester, while enjoying Kona Ice snow cones during the warm spring weather.
Ian Camacho, a psychology major, said he attended Club Day to explore the available clubs and discover opportunities to get more involved on campus. He was particularly interested in the mariachi club because of its community.
“I can relate to some of the people in the club,” he said.
Camacho said that he doesn’t usually attend campus events, but is trying to be more social and involved. He explained how Club Day allows students to engage in more social interactions and to get to know people they would have never met, even if they don’t join a club.
Another student attendee, Thad Jarrell, a 3D animation and modeling certificate student, said he decided to attend Club Day after hearing about the event while doing homework on campus.
“I was like, ‘Oh, I gotta see it.’ I keep missing them,” Jarrell said.
He described Club Day as having a state fair-like atmosphere with lots of energy and excitement, where students can expand their worldview beyond their academic programs.
Jarrell said clubs like the Car Club and the physics department’s booths interest him, even if they don’t align with his academic certificate.
“I like learning, and I like finding things that can help me learn even if I can’t take a full class on it,” Jarrell said. “At least I can start working on it and understanding something.”
The “Swingin’ Into Summer” theme reflected the overall energy of a sunny day for the final Club Day, with music, activities and student engagement filling the quad as the spring semester ends and summer begins.
