The Social Equality Club is a new organization on campus in which its sole focus is to highlight the social inequalities prevalent on campus and to provide solutions to such matters.
Child development major and co-founder of the club Jennifer Ovalle said, “Our mission as the Social Equality Club is to promote social justice throughout the campus and the community. We plan to achieve these goals by providing students with a safe space to exchange ideas, brainstorm solutions and put our plans into action.”
Co-founding the club with Jimmy Valdez, Ovalle said that they both thought up of an idea last September about creating an organization on campus that “ would focus on building a student voice for educational equality and reform.”
“We brainstormed and eventually decided that we not only wanted our campus to have a space accessible for students to begin having conversations around issues revolving around educational equality, but equality and social justice in general, so we decided to become an official club this semester,” she said.
Ovalle believes it is important to promote awareness on social inequalities and figure out solutions to these problems.
The club has since acted on this stance by implementing paid internships on campus.
“The internships will revolve specifically around educational reform and will teach students how to become leaders within their own schools and communities by teaching them how to put our ideas and problem solving methods into actions.”
Earvin Chavez, a member of the club, feels everything the club is doing is of great benefit to the students on campus.
“I feel the first step has been taken toward making a difference, and that first step was the creation of the club. The creation of the club is an achievement in itself because it shows that students can collectivize into a group for social justice.”
The Social Equality Club is still in its early stages and is attempting to establish itself and maintain a type of stability.
There has been a sense of support for the club, however, and it seems as though it is attaining some ground.
“(The Make it Happen Club members) said they will provide logistical support, and advice on how to concrete the club,” Chavez said.
Internships are only one way the club is hoping to make a difference. It seeks to promote itself and provide awareness by doing other things, such as bring up issues of poverty or overall educational plans.
“As for particular campaigns, we are actually in the midst of deciding that as we speak,” Ovalle said.
“Some ideas that have been brought up include educational reform, homelessness (and) poverty. We want to find ways to bring positive changes to not only our campus but our communities, so that all who are served by the college and our communities can benefit.”
Chavez said, “I believe once we establish ourselves as a formidable force, then word of mouth will serve as the best advertisement.”
