The biology club at City College offers hands-on experience for students interested in expanding their exposure to the science field.
“I try to create a community that is all welcoming and just a safe space for Biology majors and non biology majors. I just want people to get in nature,” Jack Forster, the president of the biology club said.
People skills is a big takeaway Forster gained from his time spent in the meetings and something that he feels will help him greatly in his career after college.
Creating an environmental change to the campus is one of many future proposals the group has. The student senate gifted the club $40,000 to $80,000 for this particular project. The specifics involving the plan has yet to be determined as it was recently introduced and will most likely take place years from now.
The president of the club and others hold the responsibility of arranging events for the organization. These events include outdoor activities such as camping trips, clothing drives, bake sales to obtain funds, and helping with science fairs at other schools.
The club has made up to $600 in a two day period by selling pastries to students and faculty on campus. In an effort to educate anyone interested, the club will bring out various species for students to interact with as well.
Meetings take place from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Fridays in room EBS 209 and are open to anyone interested that is associated with the school. The club often has guest speakers attend meetings to talk about the career paths they took and what got them to where they are today in order for students to feel more supported through their educational journey.
Nicolas Farnum from the Wilderness Youth Project spoke at the most recent meeting on April 7. He offered volunteer work at his program during the summer if any of the students were interested.
“Just being in this room for ten minutes I already can tell that you guys have a culture with each other and I feel like I can be myself in here which I can not always say,” Farnum said as he walked to the front of the classroom to talk.
Shortly after, Johnny Lim, otherwise known as The Back Packing Biologist on youtube, spoke about his experience in the field. He went in depth on how City College prepared himself for his future career in science and the steps he took to get where he is now. Blake Barron, the advisor of the club, knows him personally because of his time spent at City College.
“Why did Blake bring me? He wanted to show you guys a non-traditional path in Biology,” Lim said. “I am here to ask what success means to you. To me, it means doing things that fulfill you.”
For more information anyone is welcome to join the club’s discord where you can find announcements, future events, and important information. The link is on their instagram page.
