El Camino College’s Student Health Services hosts a weekly speed-meet social for students to converse and make friends in the Schauerman Library Collaboration Room.

The social is every Wednesday from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. until June 3, 2026.

The event first began this semester, on March 11.

Attendees sign in with their first and last names and student identification number.

After grabbing a name tag, they then take a seat at a small table where they’re positioned directly across from another student.

Optional conversation cards are situated in the middle. Participants have five minutes before switching to the next person.

Organizer and clinical psychologist at the Student Health Services, Dr. Jenn Jordan, who just started working at El Camino, said she created this event to provide social support for students.

“As a psychologist assessing social support, I realized that a lot of them were saying that they didn’t have a lot of social support, or on a campus of 20,000 they didn’t have any friends, and so, I thought everybody is having the same problem why don’t we try to organize something to give people an opportunity to meet each other, if they’re open to it,”Jordan said.

Dr. Jenn Jordan said socializing can benefit our physical and mental health in many ways by reducing anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout, and stress.

It also helps build community, confidence, and different perspectives.

Jordan said people have become comfortable with not socializing due to the COVID pandemic, which has caused individuals to become more isolated.

“I feel like it’s sort of breaking that habit and getting back to a place where people can just say hey or nod and smile or meet somebody new in passing without having that be awkward,” Jordan said.

The event is attended by an array of students, some seek social connection, while others stumble into the event in passing and decide to join out of sheer curiosity.

Sociology major, DJ Edralin, 21, decided to spontaneously join the event after seeing it a few times in the Schauerman Library Collaboration Room, where he frequents with friends.

Edralin said events like these are good because people have become worse at connecting with each other post-COVID.

“We connect with each other online, but then electronic interaction does not replace in-person interaction because you get so, so, so much more out of in-person interaction, and so just having events like this where people can actually like interact with each other is great,” Edralin said.

Oftentimes, attendees will leave the event with a new friend, exchanging information like social media or numbers.

Others will continue their hangout off-campus either right after the event or schedule days to meet up and enjoy a movie, a day at the beach, or a meal together.

Art major Jam Hall, 23, first attended the event in March seeking friendship and romance. Since then, he has returned each week and has developed a friend group that chats on Instagram and hangs out off campus.

“I have generalized anxiety disorder, and like I get really nervous with initiating conversations with people… so it’s hard to know who I can talk to, um, so, it’s nice to have this opportunity to be like this is a place where I can get to know people and be sure,” Hall said.

ECC Sociology professor Stephanie Eaves said that this event solidifies social belonging, especially currently, when political leaders are excluding specific categories of people.

“We are reducing stereotypes and prejudices by being able to meet with people from diverse backgrounds, so they have a chance to tell you more about their category of people without people having to rely on stereotypes created by other people about who they are,” Eaves said.

Once the event has concluded, attendees will wrap up their conversations and say their farewells, or some will even stay back and socialize for a while longer.

Dr. Jenn Jordan describes the difference in attendees at the end of the event.

“People are smiling, and people feel light, and they’re talking to people that they weren’t talking to before… they made a new friend!” she said.