Students will have the chance to interact with over 100 Chico State clubs Friday at Chico State’s 4th annual Clubtacular.

The event will take place from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on both Trinity and Glenn Lawn. There will be a wide variety of organizations tabling, such as Greek Life, athletics and philanthropy groups. There will also be a live DJ, drinks and food from Madison Bear Garden.

Program Coordinator for Student Organization and Leadership Education Mary Wallmark said that Clubtacular gives all students the opportunity to experience something new.

“Student experiences are a really important part of college,” Wallmark said. “We have students that are seniors who are finding something that they’re interested in for the first time.”

According to Wallmark, joining an on-campus club is an easy way to pursue different interests, build resumes and learn how to work together in teams.

“How do you set yourself apart and use the skills you are learning? One great way is to get involved with a club and organization,” Wallmark said. “The Career Center tells us that students who are involved in organizations are more interesting to employers.”

Another benefit of joining a club is the opportunity to be a part of a community of people that welcome each other.

“We survey all of the students who went to Summer O…six to eight weeks into the semester and (we) ask them to rank their academic transition and social transition. Our students struggle more with their social transition than their academic transition,” Wallmark said.

“One in five say the academic transition is difficult. One in four say the social transition is difficult,” she added.

Transitioning can be even more difficult for those from different backgrounds and cultures.

Cross-Cultural Leadership Center Program Coordinator Krystle Tonga said there are over 20 diverse clubs and organizations on campus that students of all cultures can join. These clubs include the Filipino American Student Organization (FASO) or Just Unity Sisters (justUS), an organization for empowering black women on campus.

Tonga said that joining a club is a great way for students to learn about different people and experiences.

“It’s about personal growth,” Tonga said. “Doing things that you wouldn’t in your hometown. Expanding your experiences.”

Students can also make their own clubs if none of the current ones interest them. Student Life and Leadership has a five step guide online for students interested in creating a new on-campus club.

For more information on Clubtacular or student involvement, visit the Student Life and Leadership webpage.

Brian Luong can be reached at [email protected] or @brianluongorion on Twitter.