Club Information Winter 2016
Adult Student Life Club
Melanie Couzzo, Staff Writer
Looking for a peer group that really understands the challenges in your life? Being an adult student returning to school can bring a unique set of challenges and opportunities. The Adult Student Life club is dedicated to supporting adult students and engaging them in the wider student body. It is also a support group, helping adult students juggle the many facets of life, including work, family, and school. ASL has held seminars about time management, financial planning, and other real-life concerns students face. For more information, contact Gina Edwards at gle235@email.vccs.edu.
All Living Creatures
Kaitlyn Duvalois, Staff Writer
Here at PVCC we have a wide array of clubs. If you are an animal lover, then All Living Creatures is for you. Its goal is to educate people about different animals. Staff advisor: Frances Rees, frees@pvcc.edu.
Anime Club
Arif Michael Vega, Staff Writer
The Anime Club welcomes anyone interested in animation and comics, with a focus on Japanese tradition and style. The group focuses on new animations, while leaving room for the classics. Club president Kayla Paschall says the group votes on what to watch. Contact Kayla Paschall at kdp2460@email.vccs.edu.
Art Club
Claudia Cruz, Staff Writer
The Art Club is a fun club for all students who are interested in crafts and art education. The club sponsors a variety of art-related events like the Seventh Annual Chocolate Chow Down, Art Attack, Arts Day at PVCC, art workshops and the monthly free film series. For more information contact the club President Julia Grammer, grammerjm@gmail.com, or Faculty Advisor Beryl Solla, bsolla@pvcc.edu.
Black Student Alliance
Claudia Cruz, Staff Writer
The BSA is a social and educational club for all students who are interested in being more involved with African American culture. They have a community that meets every Wednesday at noon in the main building. Feel free to drop in for their meeting hours. BSA brings students together to become better academic students and to focus on their next step for colleges. For more information please contact the Faculty Advisor, Justin Wert, jwert@pvcc.edu or the student contact Clarence Johnson, cjohnson0628@email.vccs.edu.
Board Game Club
Joe Fowler, Staff Writer
The Board Game Club at PVCC meets every Tuesday afternoon from 3 to 6 on the third floor of the Dickinson Building. Members play a wide variety of games ranging from card games to more involved games such as war games and beyond. Contact faculty advisor, Bruce Glassco, at bglassco@pvccc.edu for more information.
Brony Club
Melanie Couzzo, Staff Writer
Are you a self-proclaimed Brony? Do you love the show My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic? Looking for a peer group that values honesty, generosity, compassion, optimism, devotion and leadership? Then Brony club is for you! With weekly activities focusing on one of the core values highlighted by the show, members focus on watching the show and on fan-created content. They also participate regularly in fundraisers and service projects, providing a judgment-free environment while making a positive impact on the larger PVCC community. For more information, attend a meeting, Mondays 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. or contact Morgan Eppard (co-president), at mle2431@email.vccs.edu.
Business Club
Katya Beisel, Staff Writer
The Business club has three goals: leadership development, entrepreneurship, and personal finance. They frequently invite business professionals and entrepreneurs to speak at PVCC so that students can learn from the experiences of seasoned professionals. The Business club also strives to foster a more educated, professional community, with an emphasis on professional etiquette and deportment. Contact Business club Founder and President Scott Cast at sac2689@email.vccs.edu for more information.
Chess Club
Melanie Couzzo, Staff Writer
Interested in chess strategy, or looking to learn? Are you looking for a new place to put your chess skills to the test? Try Chess club, a fun and safe learning environment for first-time learners and experienced veterans alike. The club meets weekly on Wednesdays at 12:00 p.m. – 12:50 p.m. in the Main Building, room M158. For more information, contact Hunter Hough (co-president) at hbh215@email.vccs.edu or Abel Pors (co-president) ataep22252@email.vccs.edu.
Christian Student Fellowship (Cru)
Nia Mukasa, Staff Writer
CRU at PVCC is the club formally known as Christian Student Fellowship. CRU at PVCC provides an opportunity for students who share a common interest in the Bible to engage in Bible studies and discussions and pray together. The club meets every Wednesday during College Hour and all students are welcome to join. For more information you may contact either the club’s president, Marcus Fraticelli, at mef2233@gmail.vccs.edu, or the club’s staff advisor, Andre Luck, at aluck@pvcc.edu.
Creative Writing Club
Kelly Wilmer, Staff Writer
Creative Writing Club allows your imagination to roam freely through the stroke of a pen, surrounded by those who share an interest in writing. Every year, the club produces the school’s literary magazine The Fall Line, the three-minute horror story contest and has a special event with fun activities on The National Day on Writing. “I would say that anyone can come to our meetings. We meet every other Monday at 3 p.m. in the Writing Center Lab. We do some writing, talk about writing, and encourage writing among ourselves. It is a place where people can learn about creative writing—low stakes and friendly,” said Jennifer Koster, the staff advisor. For more information contact Presidents Annette Cashatt at alc2711@email.vccs.edu and Russell Wright at rlw2897@email.vccs.edu or Jennifer Koster at jkoster@pvcc.edu.
Dance Club
Kelly Wilmer, Staff Writer
Do you love to dance? Then get up and moving with dance club. Whether you have experience or not, all levels of dancers are welcome. Dance club offers a wide range of opportunities for dancing each semester. They even offer free dance classes. For more information on this club contact Staff Advisor Michelle H. Cooper at mcooper@pvcc.edu or student contact Kai Filippucci at kcf283@email.vccs.edu.
Engineering and Technology Club
The PVCC Engineering and Technology Club is designed to gather PVCC engineering students for social and career-oriented purposes. Student contact: Mark Potter, President, mpotter5001@email.vccs.edu. Staff advisor: Hunter Moore, hmoore@pvcc.edu.
Film Making Club
The mission of the Film Making Club is to bring together students who are interested in film and filmmaking in order to encourage and provide support and guidance for student filmmaking interests and activities. Faculty advisor: Kay Bethea, kbethea@pvcc.edu.
The Film Series
Joe Fowler, Staff Writer
The film series is part of the art club at PVCC. The film series meets twice a semester, usually weeks two and ten. The meetings typically follow a studio art class on a day such as Wednesday when most students are on campus. Look for information posted around campus for upcoming meetings. According to Beryl Solla, films for next semester include Spotlight, Brooklyn and Carol, all of which fall into the independent genre. Club President Julia Grammer says, “For the art club film series we try to choose compelling films that appeal to critics and audiences alike; that cover topics of interest to artists and have meaningful social content and interesting visual elements.” Contact Faculty Advisor Beryl Solla by email at bsolla@pvcc.edu.
The Forum
Joe Fowler, Staff Writer
The Forum, PVCC’s newspaper, provides a voice for the student body. The Forum offers students the opportunity to report their news and voice their opinions while also learning the fundamentals of the journalistic experience. Faculty advisor Tamara Whyte said, “We welcome any level of commitment or skill.” The Forum meets once a month at varied times depending on student scheduling.
Staff Advisor: Tamara Whyte, twhyte@pvcc.edu
Student Contact(s): Club President Antonia Florence, aflorence0004@email.vccs.edu
Web site: www.piedmontforum.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/PVCCForum
Twitter: @PVCCForum
Instagram: PVCCForum
French Culture Club
Nia Mukasa, Staff Writer
The French Culture club emphasizes the language and culture of France by providing an atmosphere and activities in which students can experience both. No prior knowledge of the language is required for students to join, but the club does encourage students to join whose first language is French. For information about the French Culture club, contact the club president, Evangeline Poten, at elop23091@email.vccs.edu or the staff advisor, Kris Swanson, at kswanson@pvcc.edu.
Gender Equality Club
Our mission is to promote gender equality by educating the PVCC community about gender inequality and providing a forum to discuss issues related to gender. Gender equality does not imply that all people experience and express gender identity in the same way, but that all people should have equal rights and be treated with the same respect. For more information and details about this club please contact Connie Jorgensen, cjorgensen@pvcc.edu.
German Club
Jackie Layton, Staff Writer
The German Club promotes knowledge of and interest in German language, history and culture and provides a relaxed setting. Members engage in various activities such as watching German movies, practicing their German speaking skills, playing German board games, and organizing parties periodically, such as Oktoberfest and Karneval/Fasching. Contact staff advisor Patricia Jassmann, pjassman@pvcc.edu for more details.
Graphics Club
Melanie Couzzo, Staff Writer
Do you enjoy graphics, and are you interested in learning about how design impacts daily life? Are you interested in generating high-impact designs, or learning about how others do the same? The Graphics club is geared towards graphic design students but open to all. The club hosts a regular “Graphics Hour” where they host speakers, watch films, work on projects, and discuss all areas of design. This past October, the club hosted a “Comics Jam”, where students ate pancakes and came and left as they pleased for a 24 hour long period of comic creation. For more information on the Graphics club, contact Aubrey Tomlin at atomlin8755@email.vccs.edu.
Horticulture & Environmental Club
Jackie Layton, Staff Writer
Started in 2007, PVCC’s Horticulture & Environmental Club was formed to provide students and community members with an organic garden to learn about environmentally-sound horticulture and sustainable practices. Each year, produce from the garden is donated to local food banks in central Virginia. Club member and natural science major Fletcher Gore said, “I like how our garden is making a difference and how it was created for us.” One of the 2015 goal is to have all eight garden beds filled with vegetable plants. Information is available on the Horticulture & Environment club page, Facebook page and blog. Contact co-advisors David Lerman (dlerman@pvcc.edu) or Jennifer Scott (jscott@pvcc.edu) for further information.
International Club
Claudia Cruz, Staff Writer
The International club is a social club for any student who wants to be involved with cultures. The club likes to welcome students from many different countries to help them be part of the school’s international community. The international club likes to host many events, from potlucks, picnics, bowling excursions, trips and more. Meetings are held every two weeks on Wednesdays. Student contact: Edwing Alicandu, eja2215@email.vccs.edu. Faculty advisors: Mahmood Moghimzadeh, mmoghimzadeh@pvcc.edu and Jorge Gjarales-Diaz, jgrajalesdiaz@pvcc.edu.
Investment Club
Claudia Cruz, Staff Writer
The Investment Club is one of the oldest clubs on PVCC’s campus. Its mission is to help students improve their knowledge of the economy and market of our country. They hold meetings every other week on Wednesdays. They like to take trips throughout the year. For more information please contact the president of the club Nate Thomas, nt25252@email.vccs.edu.
Japanese Club
Nia Mukasa, Staff Writer
The goal of the Japanese club is to share knowledge and experience of the Japanese culture and language with PVCC students and the surrounding community. Japanese card games and cuisine are two of the many ways Staff Advisor Noriko Donahue seeks to accomplish this goal. Annual karaoke nights and a cup of tea in a Japanese garden give students the opportunity to experience the customs native to Japan and enrich their understanding of its culture. For more information about the Japanese club, contact the club’s President, Rachel Mlcoch at rmm28857@email.vccs.edu or the Staff Advisor, Noriko Donahue at ndonahue@pvcc.edu.
Latter-day Saints Club
Nia Mukasa, Staff Writer
The goal of the Latter-Day Saints (LDS) Club is to spread an understanding of the scriptures of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The club endeavors to share the peace that is experienced during the study of scriptures. All students are invited to join the LSD club which meets every Tuesday. For more information, contact the Staff Advisor, Andrew Renshaw, at renshaw@pvcc.edu.
LGBTQA Club
Katya Beisel, Staff Writer
The LGBTQA group seeks to raise awareness of the issues faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning people and allies. Outreach and inclusion are top priorities for the LGBTQA club, which seeks to foster a community of acceptance and tolerance regardless of sexual orientation or gender. Events sponsored by the LGBTQA club include the Ask-a-Queer booth, which centers on opening dialogue between queer students and their curious straight or cisgender peers, and answering sensitive questions without fear of judgement or offending. Contact Eddie Edwards at eme2730@email.vccs.edu for more information.
LIFE (Life is For Everyone)
Joe Fowler, Staff Writer
The LIFE (Life Is For Everyone) club promotes life with a pro-life stance on abortion. The goal of the LIFE club, according to its profile on PVCC’s website, “is to learn and educate about fetal development and abortion realities, and to promote discussion of its medical, economic, and social effects. We also seek to educate women about alternatives to abortion.” To find out meeting times for LIFE, check out their website or contact faculty advisors Nicole Winkler, nwinkler@pvcc.edu and Kemper Steele, ksteele@pvcc.edu.
Web site: https://sites.google.com/site/lifeclubpvcc/
Masquers Club (Theatre)
Melanie Couzzo, Staff Writer
Interested in drama? Love the spotlight? Maybe you’re more of a behind-the-scenes person with an interest in lights, costume or sound? There is room for all kinds at the Masquers club; all that is required is a love of theater! Started by Kay Bethea decades ago, their goal is to support both the Department’s official productions and student-run productions. In addition to regular weekly meetings, beginning in January, they will host a monthly improvisation series called the Fourth Friday Improv., which in past years has been held the last Friday of each month from 6-8 p.m. The event is open to all students, staff and the general public free of charge. Want to try acting for the first time, or just flex your muscles between performances? This is the place for you! For more information, please contact Brad Stoller, bstoller@pvcc.edu.
Mu Alpha Theta
Claudia Cruz, Staff Writer
Mu Alpha Theta is a math honor society; qualifying students are voting members for projects, constitutional amendments, and get to wear honor tassels at graduation. Math club is open to all who are interested in math topics or just want to have fun with math. Part of the national mission of this honor society is to share the fun of math with everyone possible. The club has guest speakers and a big project in the spring. In its first first year, it held Starry Night in conjunction with the Charlottesville Astronomical Society. Last year, it held a “Super Pi Day” event for area fourth and fifth grade students. For more information contact Diane Valade dvalade@pvcc.edu, the chapter contact at MAT@pvcc.edu, or President Fintan Horan fhoran0001@email.vccs.edu.
Music Club
Kelly Wilmer, Staff Writer
Music club is a place where people who share a love for music gather together to play music with one another in jam sessions at The Maxwell Theater (Black Box) in the Dickinson or just to discuss their appreciation of music. “I would recommend the Music club to anyone that loves music. It’s a great way to meet new friends that share an interest in music – the best art form, in my humble opinion,” said Michael Baize. The club meets every Monday at noon at The Black Box Theater. For more information contact staff advisor Kay Bethea at kbethea@pvcc.edu or student contacts Mike Baize at mbaize6274@email.vccs.edu and Jacob Brumback at jrb264345@email.vccs.edu.
Native American Student Union
Nia Mukasa, Staff Writer
The Native American Student Union (NASU) aims to highlight Native American culture and the issues Native Americans face. The club is a mix of students who are native and non-native. NASU offers students a chance to mingle with those who share their interests in Native American Culture and desire to educate the public on the subject. The club also provides information on local events pertaining to indigenous culture.
Outdoor Club
Arif Michael Vega, Staff Writer
Natural areas are the focus of the Outdoor club. Target events include hiking, camping and other exploratory activities. Student contact for the outdoor club is Andrew Little, arl2381@email.vccs.edu.
People Empowering People (PEP) Club
Melanie Couzzo, Staff Writer
People Empowering People is dedicated to helping people overcome the challenges that people with disabilities encounter. Looking for a helping hand, or want to help others? This is the place to be! Help raise awareness and tear down boundaries to build a more fair and inclusive world. For more information, contact Susan Hannifan at shannifan@pvcc.edu.
Phi Theta Kappa (PTK)
Claudia Cruz, Staff Writer
Phi Theta Kappa is the national honor society for two-year colleges, and PVCC’s chapter is active in our community. This club organizes fundraisers, attends a regional conference in the fall and creates college-wide projects. An application to join PTK can be found on its webpage, along with the requirements for membership. However, all meetings are open to non-member students and provisional memberships are available for curious, undecided students and those who do not meet eligibility requirements. For more information contact Patrick Fritz, pfritz@email.vccs.edu.
Political Club
Joe Fowler, Staff Writer
The Political club at PVCC is place for students to discuss the political climate on all levels, be it school policy or international politics. The Political club is currently working with the VA 21 club to bring a chapter of the statewide organization, Virginia 21, to PVCC. Meeting times for the political club vary based on student availability. For more information, email Staff Advisor Connie Jorgensen at cjorgensen@pvcc.edu.
Pottery Club
Nia Mukasa, Staff Writer
The Pottery club offers a creative outlet for students enrolled in the ceramics courses and those who love art. In this club, students have the opportunity to hone their skills with pottery clay and make them manifest in works of art. This artisan club nurtures the skills already gained and develops those yet to be mastered. The Pottery club meets in the Dickinson building. For more information on the Pottery club, contact Tom Clarkson at tclarkson@pvcc.edu.
Radiography Club
Kelly Wilmer, Staff Writer
Radiography Club is a club for radiography students and a requirement for the radiography program. “It’s a club designed to help radiography students raise funds to send its senior students to a conference. This conference lets students about to graduate meet other students from across the country, network in the radiography community, go to lectures, and take a mock board exam,” said Megan Ford, the club’s vice president. Ford described how closely bonded club members are: “As radiography students, each student class has all of their courses together during the two year program. So, the club actually meets just after class for a few minutes each week or, if you think about it, all the time since we basically become a family and do everything together for two years.” For more information on this club and the radiography program itself contact staff advisors Nicole Winkler at nwinkler@pvcc.edu and Adriea Clarke at aclarke@pvcc.edu. For more information on the club contact President Chuck Kovacik at clk2974@email.vccs.edu or Vice President Megan Ford at mford7271@email.vccs.edu.
Science Club
Melanie Couzzo, Staff Writer
Are you interested in how science has a real-world impact on our daily lives? How about the creative aspects of science, and how it can improve the world? Science club is the place for you! Be on the lookout for their Semester Kickoff meeting, where the club decides on meeting days and plans events as well as holds elections. Though their focus is most tailored to students focusing on sciences, all are welcome. Their meetings are held in the Keats Science Building. For more information, contact Anne Allison at aallison@pvcc.edu.
The Soccer Club
Claudia Cruz, Staff Writer
The soccer club invites members to be part of this great sport. You don’t need to be experienced with the sport; if you are interested in trying it for the first time they will make you feel welcomed. They have many members that play soccer tournaments throughout the semester. All students are invited to come and cheer for the school’s soccer team. Edwing Alicandu, captain of the Soccer club, said, “indoor season is coming up and everyone is welcomed to participate or cheer at the bleachers.” Dates and locations will be posted in the spring semester in all the campus. Alicandu also hopes “we might have a chance to see the PVCC Bears play against other community college teams.” For more information, contact the captain Edwing Alicandu, eja2215@email.vccs.edu, or Faculty Advisor Steve McNerney at smcnerney@pvcc.edu.
Sonography Club
Kelly Wilmer, Staff Writer
This club helps prepare students for a career in Sonography focusing on the use of ultrasound equipment. Sonography club is for students enrolled in the sonography program at PVCC and for students interested in the program. Staff advisor Lisa Burrington describes a typical Sonography club meeting: “Students may determine how they will raise funds and plan for that. In the past students have arranged tutoring meetings and have arranged to have guest speakers. It depends on the club officers, as the students decide what they will do.” If this club sounds like something you might be interested in, contact the club’s president, Jennifer Davis. Staff advisor Lisa Burrington can be reached at lburrington@pvcc.edu.
¡El Club de Español!
Kellyn Torres, Staff Writer
Or Spanish Club, as it is formally known, is a growing community at Piedmont. The Spanish Club seeks to promote the Spanish culture and language throughout our college. The club meets weekly; students of all levels are welcome to attend. The club organizers make it possible for students who attend to hear occasional presentations, engage in arts and crafts using the typical piñata paper–“paper picado.” The club also organizes visits to the Casa Bolivar at the University of Virginia and to the downtown salsa classes. To learn more, contact student leaders Alexander Urpí (axu2db@virginia.edu) and Brigith Bautista (bnb23473@email.vccs.edu).
Student Government Association (SGA)
Melanie Couzzo, Staff Writer
Want to get involved in making the school a better place? Have ideas, but not sure how to implement them? The Student Government Association works to represent the interests of the student body to the staff, administration and governing bodies of the school. Working together with the staff and administrative bodies, the SGA promotes open communication with the end goal of representing the rights and concerns of students to the school administration. Hosting many events throughout the year, the club brings students and faculty together to talk about issues in an open and inclusive space. It also promotes the founding of other clubs. There are many different levels of involvement. Each club within the PVCC community nominates a representative to speak for the club in SGA meetings, while other SGA members serve as senators, college-wide committee representatives, or at-large representatives. To learn more about SGA, attend one of their two monthly meetings, held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7 to 8 a.m. in the North Mall Meeting Room.
Student Veterans of America
Nia Mukasa, Staff Writer
The Student Veterans of America (SVA) club offers a circle of peers who can relate to each other in a unique way. Students who have served our country in the military branches have experienced things that others are not often able to relate to. It can mean a lot to veterans to have a network of support that helps them transition into student life. The mission of the SVA club is “To provide military veterans with the resources, support, and advocacy needed to succeed in higher education and following graduation.” With activities like bowling, hiking, snow tubing and water tubing down the James River, these vets have an opportunity to relax and enjoy the country they fought to protect. The SVA club also hosts an annual cook-out. The club meets every first and third Wednesday at noon in the veteran’s trailer on the east side of PVCC’s Main Building. For more information about SVA club, please contact Staff Advisor Jackie Fisher at jfisher@pvcc.edu.
Tennis Club
Kelly Wilmer, Staff Writer
For those who love to play tennis or always had a burning desire to play, here is your chance with tennis club. Tennis club is open to people of all skill levels. The club’s main goal is to promote tennis throughout PVCC. For more information contact student contact Tom Cude at tec2453@email.vccs.edu.
Ultimate Frisbee Club
Joe Fowler, Staff Writer
Led by team captain Calvin Biesecker, the Ultimate Frisbee club meets on Fridays at noon. Though hampered by a slower year than usual, the club has met and played continually for five or six years, according to Staff Advisor John Gulley. The Ultimate Frisbee club is one of the longest- running sports clubs currently on campus, if not the longest. Gulley has much to say about the club, including reports of heaven shining its light down upon club members, perhaps explaining the club’s lasting appeal. “If you’re interested in joining, look up and join the PVCC Ultimate Facebook site,” said Gulley. The club is co-ed. All are welcome. The Spring semester might start off slow for practices in January and February, but the club will be back for the semester. Contact staff advisor, John Gulley at jgulley@pvcc.edu.
Virginia 21
Joe Fowler, Staff Writer
The VA 21 club works alongside the Political Club to bring a chapter of the statewide advocacy organization Virginia 21 to PVCC. The organization holds a monthly meeting in Richmond. According to its website, “Virginia 21 is a generational advocate that provides non-partisan information and support to young voters and students in three ways; we coordinate action focused on: keeping college affordable; increasing jobs for graduates; engaging young people in politics.” Faculty Advisor Connie Jorgensen encourages students “to look at the Virginia 21 website and to get involved.” She can be contacted via email at cjorgensen@pvcc.edu.
Website: http://www.virginia21.org/
Volunteer Club
Interested in helping out the local community or making the campus a better place? Join the volunteer club. The club is relaunching this semester, and plans on engaging in various activities on and off campus. Faculty contact: Todd Platts (tplatts@pvcc.edu).
