Participation key to college life
Rawly Bransom
editor-in-chief

   Everyday on the walk to and from classes, I usually see most of the same people.
   I see people going and coming from classes, and I see people who always seem to be sitting and talking to their friends.
   The same question often pops into my mind: “How many of these people participate in campus activities?”
   Having previously gone to a four-year university, I never get the same feel of school unity here that I felt there.
   I know TCC does not offer all the chances to participate in campus events that four-year schools do, but it still feels strange to me.
   Four-year and even some two-year colleges use sports to bring students together. With no organized sports, it is hard for TCC students to come together and root for their school.
   We also do not have fraternities and sororities. Though I have often felt that a fraternity is simply a way to “buy friends,” the lack of these organizations puts a small hole in TCC’s social scene.
   TCC has no big frat parties, crawfish fries or even fraternity-sponsored concerts.
   Having few organization-sponsored events leaves little room for socialization among students.
   Still TCC does have many ways for students to interact with their peers.
   Phi Theta Kappa, although an honor society, is one way to bring students together for fellowship and community service. I doubt Phi Theta Kappa will ever hold a campuswide kegger as the fraternities did at my old school, but it still allows students to form lifelong friendships and contacts.
   TCC also sponsors many different clubs related to hobbies or potential career paths. These organizations include chess clubs, astronomy clubs, computer user groups, speech and debate teams and Christian student ministries.
   Some clubs such as the South Campus Latino Student Union and the NE Association of Middle Eastern Students are set up to accommodate various demographics of the student population.
   Each campus offers approximately 20 clubs for students to join.
   However, no matter what a student is into, participation in TCC activities is the easiest way to meet people and find a sense of belonging.
   I am proud to attend TCC, and I hope that through participation others will feel the same way too.