By Dana DiBerardino
Today it seems college students are not participating in local events or taking any intiative in doing community service. Well, the students apart of Phi Theta Kappa would have to disgaree. The Phi Theta Kappa organization is made up of a group of students with at least a 3.5 GPA and come together to plan community events and help raise money for charities. The organization also gives scholarship opportunites to the students who wish to transfer to a 4-year university.
On April 8, the Phi Theta Kappa organization met in the Blackwood Campus to discuss upcoming events and fundraisers the club plans on hosting. For example, PTK is participating in Earth Day by planting trees on Friday, April 16th at the R.C. Molina School in Camden. Another project the PTK has is a donation page for the Heifer Organization, which gives farm animals to third world countries as a steady source of income. Other things discussed at the meetings were fundraisers such as working at a Camden Riversharks game, selling water ice on campus and also having a bowling night.
After discussing the events the organization has planned, the group went on to discuss the goals they would like to reach. PTK as a whole gives out ratings based on a five star system. For the past two years, Camden County College’s chapter has been rated as a zero star, yet this year, the chapter plans on getting a three star rating. Moreover, the group also hopes on getting t-shirts for its members, so when they go out in the community they can be recognized by others.
Yet, for President Joe Speirs, the group is already heading in the right direction. “We’ve had a good turnout for both meetings,” Speirs said. Previously, only about five members would show up to the meetings, but at both meetings the group held recently, there were at least fifteen members present. The group is certainly heading in the right direction and gives hope to others that college students do care about their community.