By Adrien Julious

In high school you are immersed in your school’s environment. Every activity that happens seems to be happening right in front of you. Teachers and other students seek you out to include you in different activities. Pep rallies are announced over the intercom. Signs advertising sports tryouts seem to be plastered everywhere and chances are at least one of your friends is intimately involved with one extracurricular activity.

If you attend a university such as USF your experience will be pretty similar, but you’ll also be recruited by fraternities, sororities, and different honor societies. Although you may not be actively recruited in the same manner, SPC has a lot of the same activities. Below are 5 extra curricular activities that are happening at SPC right now.

Basketball

If you were the star forward on your high school basketball team, you might be saddened to know that tryouts for The SPC Titans are over, but you’ll be happy to know that Basketball season is starting and you can get your basketball fix starting November 4th at SPC where the Women’s basketball team will play against the HCC Hawks. The game is said to be a good one as the two rivals vie to be the best community college team in the bay.

Coach Denisha Dawson says that tryouts for the basketball team are held each year beginning in April or May and that information about tryouts will be listed at the school on billboards and on the SPC website about two weeks in advance.

Recruitment for Sports at SPC can be located on the school website at http://athletics.spcollege.edu/landing/index under the recruitment tab.

Student Government Association

While it’s not recommended that you become president of the student government and lead a student revolt against the college president after he tries to cut back the faculty like former US President Ronald Reagan did, this is the sort of thing that members of the Student Government Association do.

As a member of the student government association you will have the opportunity to assist in planning student activities, representing SPC and other college students to state legislature, and addressing the interests, concerns, and needs of students on campus and in college decisions.

According to the American Student Government Association “A strong Student Government will make your entire institution stronger. An evolved SG can help your school recruit new students, retain existing students, and improve student and alumni involvement.”

The Sandbox

If you worked for your High School Newspaper or always wished that you had, or if you recently watched Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and were inspired by April O’Neil’s reporting prowess, you might be interested in writing for the Sandbox, SPC’s Online School Newspaper. Writing for the Sandbox will provide you with real life experience, offer you the opportunity to work on different sections of the paper, and help you with time management and writing skills.

According to the Write for Us Section of the Sandbox:

“We’re looking for news reporters, art critics, book reviewers, students interested in campus events, web comics, humor articles, and, especially, great ideas you have we haven’t even thought of yet. This is your Sandbox, so come on in. You will be paid in fame, glory, and a chance to be a little more like April O’Neil than you were before.”

In addition to the fame and glory of writing for The Sandbox, the ability to write well is very important and can be utilized in many careers including Public Relations, Politics, and Education. If you are majoring in Journalism or Mass Communications writing for The Sandbox would be a great addition to your Curriculum Vitae.

To write for the Sandbox send a pitch to sandbox.news@gmail.com.

Cheerleading

Maybe you like shouting “Be Aggressive, Be, Be Aggressive” at the top of your lungs or maybe your favorite form of exercising involves tumbling and splits; if so you’ll be glad to know that SPC has a Cheerleading Squad.

SPC Cheerleaders display their school spirit for the women’s and men’s basketball teams, the volleyball team, and also during pep rallies and other school functions. Ashana Patterson, who was practicing her tumbling prior to her turn to try out for the team, said that making the team would help her to focus more. “You have to keep your grades up in order to stay on the team. I want to be on the team so that I can have a good college experience and do all the fun stuff that you’re supposed to do in college.”

Cheerleading tryouts will be advertised during the terms when they are recruiting in the student center, throughout the school on billboards, and online. Cheerleaders also get the opportunity to qualify for a stipend during their second term on the squad.

Comotion Dance Theatre

For 30 years SPC has been locally known for their Comotion Dance Theatre. It is the resident dance company at the St. Pete Gibbs Campus. If you aspire to major in dance or just love to dance then Comotion may be right for you. Scholarships are offered to well talented dancers.

Auditions for the Comotion Dance Theatre are held at the beginning of every semester and students are required to enroll in a credit earning dance class if they are chosen to be a member of the dance ensemble. When listed, audition information can be found on SPC’s website under student activities.

Being involved in student activities offers many advantages to students. Teams and Clubs can be fun, educational, and offer networking opportunities that will last a lifetime. Jazmine Harris Point Guard for SPC’s women’s basketball team says that participating in a sport gives her a better, more connected experience than someone who just comes to the school, does their work, and doesn’t participant in any school functions.

Students who join teams and clubs report increased satisfaction with the college experience, make new friends, have the opportunity to receive stipends and scholarships, learn important life enhancing skills and receive excellent experience to place on their resumes once they graduate.

For more information about student activities at SPC on the St Pete Gibbs Campus go to the Student Life and Leadership office located in the SS Building in room 111. Laura from the Student Life and Support Staff says that STA meetings at Gibbs are held in SA114 from 12:30pm-1:30 pm on Tuesdays.

For information on college-wide clubs and organizations, visit the website.

Header photo from SPC Seminole Student Government Facebook page.