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Student life offices at district colleges offer a variety of free recreational opportunities.
By R. Eguia
sac-ranger@alamo.edu
Summer school students can enjoy ice cream, hot dogs and mini-pies between classes as the office of student life kicks off summer activities in July.
Student life will host a Summer Bash 11 a.m.–2 p.m. July 20 complete with water volleyball, a squirt gun race, bean bag toss, Frisbee games, a mini-pie eating contest and hot dogs for participants.
Mark Bigelow, director of student life, said the office will sponsor a celebration 11 a.m.-1 p.m. July 5 to recognize the 4th of July holiday.
Both events will be hosted in the mall.
The fitness center on the first floor of Loftin Student Center will be available 10 a.m. -2 p.m., and the game room on the second floor is available 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. Monday- Thursday during the summer.
The fitness center for students offers elliptical machines, treadmills, stationary bikes, fixed weight machines and free weights.
Two large screen televisions are available to students in the game room where they can check out video games and other equipment in Room 256.
Student life at Palo Alto College will host an ice cream social 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. July 18 in the cafeteria in the student center to celebrate the Summer 2 classes as the staff did on June 13 for Summer 1 students.
The president of PAC requested a summer movie series to be hosted in the meadow between Ozuna library and the performing arts center.
“Inside Out” will be shown June 28, “The Lego Movie” July 26 and “Minions” Aug 16. Each screening will begin at 8:15 p.m., prefaced by popcorn, games and prizes for children and community members beginning at 7:30 p.m. the day of each screening.
Isidro Medina, administrative service specialist for student life at Palo Alto, said summer activities are typically lighter than the fall and spring because enrollment is lower, which means less money is collected by the student activity fee.
Students at all district colleges pay $1 for every credit hour they register for each semester, which funds activities.
Students can sign up to go to the beach with student life on July 22.
Medina said this is the fourth summer students have visited Bob Hall pier in Corpus Christi for the day. Students can sign up in the office of student life in Room 101 of the student center.
Students will pay a $5 refundable fee to reserve their spots. Guests are welcome and will pay a $20 non-refundable fee. There are 45 spaces available so students are encouraged to sign up early. The beach bus will leave PAC at 8 a.m. and return by 7 p.m.
Northeast Lakeview College will host a snow cone welcome activity event Aug. 8 for students registered for the fall.
Crystal Willis, associate director of student activities for Northeast Lakeview, said not too many events are scheduled for the summer because there are not very many students to engage. About 5,000 students enrolled in summer classes at Northeast Lakeview last summer.
Angela McPherson Williams, director of student success for St. Philip’s College, said the office of student life will set up a welcome tent July 1-12 to welcome Summer 2 students as they did to welcome Summer 1 students. Students will be able to print schedules, look at maps for directions and sample snacks.
The student activity fee monies are used to support students with initiatives including leadership, clubs, organizations, sports, fitness, wellness, events, speakers and on- or off-campus activities.
Students at Northwest Vista will have access to the fitness center and conditioning classes in Huisache Hall for free this summer.
Debi Gaitan, vice president for student success at Northwest Vista College, recalled how little money was budgeted for student activities before the implementation of the fee in 2009.
“I remember being a team of one, and I had $5,000 to do student life for the whole year, and that was really hard,” Gaitan said.
Each college is required to have a student services fee advisory committee composed of five students and four faculty or staff members.
Student activity fee budgets are allocated based on projections from the enrollment and contact hours recorded the previous year.
The summer enrollment hours for 2015 indicate a total of $108,266 was collected for activity fees at all the colleges.
In summer 2015, Northeast Lakeview collected $5,318, this college $40,449, St. Philip’s $15,384, Palo Alto $18,110 and Northwest Vista $29,005.
For more information, contact student life offices at district colleges — Northwest Vista at 210-486-4010, Palo Alto at 210-486-3125, Northeast Lakeview at 210- 486-5404, SAC at 210-486-0125, and St. Philip’s at 210-486-2135.
