The Student Involvement Fair came and went on Sept. 14. Maybe you’re feeling overwhelmed by how many clubs and organizations Chapman has or maybe you didn’t really find what you were looking for. Maybe you completely missed the fair altogether. Not to worry. Here are five relatively new clubs that are looking for more members.

Alternatives in Democracy

Co-founders and sophomores Juan Bustillo, a screenwriting major, and Dany Zavala, a political science major, are bringing Alternatives in Democracy to Chapman. Alternatives in Democracy is a civic engagement club with the goal of exploring the different options within the realm of democracy that the United States currently uses. 

“I think that it is very important to emphasize that this is not alternatives for democracy or todemocracy … We’re trying to maintain democratic ideals,” Bustillo said.

The club itself does not have a president. Zavala and Bustillo want every member’s vote to be equally valued. Bustillo takes the role of head regulator while Zavala takes the role of regulator for logistics, like meeting with student government or other officials on campus. This value comes directly from one of the alternatives Bustillo is familiar with called worker cooperatives. 

“There isn’t really a hierarchy. Everyone will have equal power and (an) equal vote,” Bustillo said. 

“Everyone’s time is worth the same,” Zavala added. 

Bustillo and Zavala find the history of America’s democracy and politics to be troubling and are choosing to take an informational standpoint through speakers, presentations and debates. Zavala also wants to plan regional meetings with some of the social justice clubs on campus like Black Student Union, Chapman Feminists, Queer Trans People of Color Collective and other organizations. 

“We want to have this as much in the hands of our members as possible,” Bustillo said.

Alternatives in Democracy is running a poll on its Facebook page to decide when it will meet. 

The B+ Foundation Chapter

Becca Batkin, a senior strategic and corporate communication major, founded Chapman’s chapter of the B+ Foundation, a non-profit organization whose objective is to fight childhood cancer, in December 2015. In its first semester, B+ Foundation raised over $41,000 at Chapman. Batkin broke down the four main goals of the Chapman chapter:

“One, we provide financial assistance to families, two, we fund research for childhood cancer, three, we raise awareness for childhood cancer and four, we match student organizations with B+ heroes,” Batkin said.

Batkin explained the impact student organizations can have on a child’s life, and why the fourth goal is sometimes the most important step. 

“For sororities and fraternities, this B+ hero becomes a little brother or sister,” Batkin said. “For sports teams, it would be a teammate, and it just provides this child and their family a whole new support system.”

Now that the club is more established on Chapman’s campus and people know what it is, Batkin wants to be bigger and better than before. The club has already started matching student organizations to children and had its first fundraiser earlier this month. Batkin and her team are also excited to bring back their biggest fundraiser last year, the Chapman University Dance Marathon, and hope to bring even more money and support this year than the last. 

The B+ Foundation chapter meets every Tuesday at 10 p.m. in Beckman 104. You can find more information here.

International Students Association

International Student Association is a social club that connects international students with each other and other Chapman students. The club also serves as a guide for international students who may be struggling with adjusting to life in the U.S. Estrellita Uribe, a senior strategic and corporate communication major, is president of the club. 

“For a lot of (students), it’s their first time in the U.S. or in California so they are lost,” Uribe said. “They have a hard time adapting to the culture, experience culture shock or it’s a different language. There may be different expectations in the classroom or even a social environment.”

Uribe and her executive board work to create a safe space for students where they can feel relaxed and be social. The club will often try global experiences like salsa dancing or Korean barbecue, and will have a discussion-based meeting once or twice a month to discuss issues.

International Students Association is not just for international students and often has American students in attendance at its meetings.

“(American students) usually studied abroad or are really curious about meeting people from different cultures,” Uribe said.

The International Student Association meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays. For more information, visit their Facebook page. 

Queer Trans People of Color Collective

Zavala takes the role of point person for the Queer Trans People of Color Collective, or QTPOCC. The group is a social organization that advocates for inclusive discussion about queer and other social justice issues. The organization was founded around this time last year and is not considered a club but a collective.

“We don’t believe in a hierarchy… It’s really even across the board and that’s how we emphasize we’re a collective,” Zavala said.

QTPOCC wants to create an intersectional safe space, no matter a student’s sex, gender, race or ethnicity. Vice President Alejandra Cortes, a sophomore mathematics and civil engineering major, spoke to many students at the involvement fair about the benefits she’s seen from being a member of QTPOCC. 

“You don’t necessarily have to be a person of color, queer or transgender to be a part of the collective. You just have to be someone who’s interested in social justice,” Cortes said.  

Keilani Spahn, a sophomore theatre major and the public relations chair for QTPOCC, is excited to be an established organization on campus this year. 

“Being established opens us up to a ton more opportunities to grow,” Spahn said. 

Queer Trans People of Color Collective meets Wednesdays at 9 p.m.

Tamid Beta

The new chapter of Tamid Beta at Chapman University was co-founded by junior accounting major Daniel Khalfin, sophomore Alex Alexander and junior Jacob Goldstein, who are both business administration majors. Tamid is a national organization that pairs undergraduate students with Israeli startups for consulting work. The extent of the startups is very diverse.

“You could be doing a marketing campaign one semester, stock portfolio management another semester and project development another semester, each with a different startup,” Goldstein said. 

Goldstein first heard of Tamid from junior Johnny Rashtian, a student involved in the University of Southern California’s chapter of Tamid chapter. Alexander and Khalfin both think Tamid is a unique club that the Chapman community needs.

“There’s no club on campus where you can really hone in your entrepreneurial skills,” Alexander said. 

The club is open to all majors and anyone who is interested in working on these skills. All it takes to be a part of Tamid is regular attendance. The club is paired with a startup and then the club will break up into groups to work on consulting work for different aspects of the startup. 

Tamid Beta plans to meet Sunday nights at the Leatherby Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Ethics.