HTC Secretary, Samuel Barke
What is the Honors Transfer Club (HTC)?
HTC is a volunteer/fund raising club tied in with HTP (honors transfer program) and it makes people aware of the HTP and also helps people get more involved, it lets people know when seminars are and any new information for the HTP; HTC is there to give people a head’s up about it. It’s geared towards people in HTP, but anyone can join.
What is your position in the club and what duties does your position entail?
I’m secretary of the club. I send out emails to all of the club members to keep them updated with what’s going on in the club, such as when the meetings will be and when the events and volunteer opportunities will be held.
Why is the club important to EC?
It gives people the opportunity to not just get involved with HTP, but other campus activities. We do some joint activities with other clubs, it gets people familiar with other clubs and things about the campus, and gets people more involved with the school in general.
What’s an interesting experience you’ve had while in the club?
Being on board has given me a better understanding of the club, and how clubs are run in general. It’s kind of like being behind the scenes, it shows you how much work goes into a club too. Also we had a benefit concert last year for Darfur, and it was my first event for the club, it was really fun, I wasn’t even in the club at the time, but it motivated me to join it, along with the fact that I already knew some people in the club. They were doing this thing for a great cause and they were really into it.
What are your personal goals for the HTC?
To do whatever I can for the club, so the club can grow and in turn I can grow as a person. I hope to put what I’ve learned from past club experiences and current club experiences and put all of that into HTC, and hopefully it will inspire others to do the same. I’d like people to be more involved with the club, we have a lot of new members, and most people on the cabinet are going to transfer, So I would like to see the new people step up and take over so that HTC can stay alive and running.
What are some events that involve the HTC?
We did a joint operation with Rotaract, this mentoring program for middle school kids through a program called LATM. It’s a weekly event that occurs on Wednesdays until June, and the people signed up for it can go to specific middle schools and act as tutors and mentors for young children. Another event we did was the LA AIDs walk, which is a 6-mile walk through west LA to make people aware of the AIDs epidemic and get people to come out and raise money, and thousands of different high schools and colleges volunteer. The members who went either walked or volunteered, handing out food and little snacks to people, cheering on the walkers, stuff like that. It’s a really fun atmosphere and the completion of the walk is tiresome and rewarding.
When does the club meet?
Every 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month, 1pm in room 205 of the Natural Sciences Building. Anyone is welcome to come and join!
Why would students want to join your club?
It’s a good way to get involved with the school, and get involved with the HTP if you’re unaware or uncertain about it. It’s also a great way to meet new people and make new friends, and branch out to other clubs. It can make you aware of some of the other things that happen on campus, and there are volunteer opportunities out there that can help with a student’s application to colleges.
What is a general club meeting like?
Meetings are usually about 25 minutes long and the president or VP will talk about upcoming events, past events, and sometimes we have guest speakers. We recently had the president of the MSA come as a guest speaker to talk about some of the problems facing the HTP.
What are your thoughts on the HTP here at EC?
It’s a great way for people to get into their dream school if they didn’t do so after high school. It sets your chances of getting into a University much higher than if you were not in the program. It may seem daunting at first but its totally worth it. I do hope though that it can survive with the current crisis that has struck it concerning budget cuts. Its one of the main reasons why people come to EC and it would be a shame to see it taken away from the students.
