By Tishanna Mayes
CCC Journalism Program
BLACKWOOD – Students at Camden County College shared their experiences with making and maintaining friendships and suggested ways the college could help more students connect with one another. A college official described upcoming activities that could help students get involved on campus.
“I’ve made one friend here in class,” said Byeong Hwang, 34, a computer science major who has attended the college for a year. Hwang moved to the United States from Seoul. As to if he found it hard to maintain friendships in college, he stated, “I think so. If I joined a club or something like that, it would be easier for me to make friends but I think the classes make it hard.”
Hwang suggested that the college hold more “events, make more clubs” and said he might want “a travel club.”
Camilo Leal, 44, a nursing major, has made acquaintances through classes in three years at the college. “People are pretty open and willing to share and help each other. That’s my experience,” Leal stated.
Leal recommended “more seating areas outside and maybe inside the buildings too, like lounges, where you repurpose one classroom for students where you can work on your computer outside of class and where you don’t have to be quiet.”
Alexander Palmer, 18, a liberal arts major in his first year at the college, said, “You’ll always have a friend on campus you can talk to between classes. Friends are important.”
In his classes, he has a mixture of friends from high school and friends he’s made in college. Palmer suggested starting “clubs for people who don’t make friends easily like social clubs.”
Associate Dean of Students Jackie Tenuto said the college is working on getting students more engaged. “I’m in the process of hiring a student engagement worker. Their sole responsibility will be to increase student activities on this campus, the Camden campus and more. That person’s just going to be in charge of getting students involved with clubs and activities.”
Tenuto noted, “As far as the room goes, space is always something that the new president is looking into, like more student space, so that is going to be something that’s going to be looked at for next year. It won’t be this year but it’s definitely being talked about, like a student center where students can hang out, collaborate and do things.”
Also, she said, “They are also going to have fireside chats this year if students want to come and speak their concerns or talk to the new president. They’re going to call it something different but for right now it’s called fireside chat.”
Tenuto added events planned for April include the Graduation Fair, Food Bank Testings and World Cultures Day.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT STUDENT ACTIVITIES
Student life calendar: https://www.camdencc.edu/student_life/student-life-calendar/
Clubs and organizations: https://www.camdencc.edu/student_life/clubs-organizations/
Sports programs: https://www.camdencc.edu/student_life/athletics/
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