By Kiana Dulan | Staff Writer
Are you stuck and bored at home? Do you have nothing to do except complete assignments on time and ace exams? The Registered Independent Organizations (RIOs) at KapCC provide an opportunity for students to meet their peers in a time of social-distancing and the chance to dip their feet in a potential future endeavor.
There is a limited number of RIOs to choose from, but students are able to create their own RIO or restart a past RIO by contacting osa@hawaii.edu. Currently, all clubs meet through Zoom, but some are venturing into in-person volunteering and following CDC guidelines.
The Psychology Club has a variety of activities planned for this semester. (Photo courtesy of The Psychology Club)
Where: Zoom
When: Every other Friday from 1:30 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Contact: Club secretary Kanani Delacruz at kaoeok@hawaii.edu
The Psychology Club provides extracurricular activities, academic support, social networking, and enriching activities related to the field of psychology. Once Covid hit, this club went on a hiatus for the remainder of the spring semester to adjust to the new normalcy, then faculty advisor Dr. Maegan Walker rounded up the officers and started planning activities
Club participants, who pay only $5 a semester, can be involved in a variety of activities. This club has plenty of future guest speakers lined up for this semester, the schedule of which can be found on its Instagram. For October’s movie night, it’s hoping to watch a psych thriller. It had planned to dissect sheep brains this past spring semester, but Walker hopes to have a “huge kickoff party” once they meet face to face.
“It’s an opportunity for us to get together and talk about these different things that interest us and feel uncomfortable about it because sometimes it’s kind of awkward in class to bring up certain discussions,” club financial officer Jamie Manzi said.
Follow this club on Instagram @psy_club_hawaii.
Where: Zoom
When: Every other Wednesday from 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Contact: Club president Keanu Rochette-Yu Tsuen at keanuryt@hawaii.edu
The Ecology Club provides volunteer opportunities for the conservation, restoration, and preservation of Hawaiʻi’s ecosystems. Before the pandemic, this club toured facilities such as Lyon Arboretum’s seed bank and even had semesterly trips to the Hakalau Forest in Hilo, which it hopes to continue after the pandemic.
“In ecosystems, there’s all these different interactions that happen between the biosphere and geosphere, so everything that we’re doing has an impact on the islands,” club president Keanu Rochette-Yu Tsuen said.
Following CDC guidelines, this club has future volunteering events at KapCC’s campus gardens and at Wailupe Valley through club secretary Rebecca Koeroessy’s STEM research experience class. Everyone is welcome regardless of their major or interest.
“It’s just a way for us to share what’s been given to us by the community and we just want to share [it] with as many people as we can,” Tsuen said.
Follow this club on Instagram @kcc_ecology_club.
Health and Medicine Association (HĀMA)
Before the pandemic, a group from Stanford Medicine attended one of HĀMA’s club meetings. (Photo courtesy of HĀMA)
Where: Zoom
When: Varies
Contact: Club president Anya Dimitrijevic at hamaclub@hawaii.edu
HĀMA puts an emphasis on what the club can do for students and displays an “attitude of servitude.” When this club was first started had its first meeting on Jan. 25, 2019, it was just for those pursuing pre-med, but this club has opened to anyone interested in health and medicine. Because of Honolulu’s COVID-19 Recovery Framework, HĀMA is sticking to optional online webinars. It’s currently collaborating with the Pre-Health Advising Center to host pre-health workshops as well as MCAT and GRE practice tests.
“This semester, we really wanted to take it slow, especially because during March and April, it was really hectic, and I know that a lot of people wouldn’t even be able to come to meetings,” club president Anya Dimitrijevic said. “I didn’t want it to be an obligation to students.”
Follow this club on Instagram @hama.kcc.
Student Nurse Association
Where: Zoom
When: Varies. Once a month, before class at 7:30 a.m. or evenings at 7 p.m.
Contact: Club president Kristle Akau at krisleikau21@gmail.com
The Student Nurse Association is a chapter of the National Student Nurse Association and provides an opportunity for KapCC nursing students to promote the nursing profession and to network with other professional health care organizations.
“It’s a way we can advocate for something we feel strongly in with evidence-based practice,” said club president Kristle Akau, who is also the resolution chair for the NSNA.
She said that this club has the opportunity to author Resolutions for NSNA but hasn’t decided if it will be participating this year.
For this chapter, it has already been using Zoom as a way to hold club meetings, so transitioning into this mode of communication was not a problem. Last spring, club members volunteered in beach cleanups, were medics for the Great Aloha Run, and held fundraisers or giveaways. However, for this semester, they have had a social media giveaway and set up a mentee-mentor mixer virtually on Zoom to provide student nurses with a support net and a designated person to contact if they have any questions about KapCC’s nursing program.
Follow them on Instagram @sna.kapcc and on Facebook.
For more information about RIOs, contact the Office of Student Activites at osa@hawaii.edu.
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