The UCR Sampling Club was only founded this year, but they are already making their mark. They are the self-described “Club gateway drug” as they offer opportunities for students who want to get involved in clubs but don’t know where to start. The club offers optional and low-commitment membership with around 80 to 100 regular members.
UCR Chapter founder and Co-President, Amandeep Sangha, says that “With the pandemic, there was little opportunity to get involved, and this was a way to make my mark and meet new people.” The idea for this club started at UCLA with Founder Ahmed Shurbaji before expanding to other UCs. The Sampling Club also has a chapter at UCI, founded by Blaire Galon and Myra Thai.
The club works with other social clubs to plan events and involve students in campus life. Recently, they’ve done a workshop with Girl Gains, learning about Workout Splits to divide up workout plans throughout the week and create a targeted fitness journey. The club also hosted a Paint & Sip event with Fight for Autism to learn about sensory-friendly art, and artists on the spectrum. Additionally, Club Sampling Club organized a viewing of a taping for the popular show, Masked Singer.
In collaboration with the UCLA chapter, the club attended a taping of two episodes of Dr. Phil and sampled “Being on TV.” Outreach Coordinator Jewel Alawabdeh told The Highlander that she “really love[s] that the CSC has been able to execute something large-scale like that off-campus. The diversity of experiences, skills and other clubs we have to sample is unlike any other club I’ve seen.” The experience was unique for members and the board as they got onto the set and were seated based on the producer’s specifications and color coordination needs before watching the drama-filled taping.
CSC will be holding another event on May 26 at Winston Chung Hall 205/206 from 7 to 10 p.m. called Design N’ Build with MRS. Those interested can RSVP as teams for the friendly competition. This is just one event that aims to provide a wide variety of events in order to encompass the wide variety of interests on campus.
For those interested, follow their Instagram, @clubsamplingclub.ucr, for updates on upcoming events. There, you can access their link tree to find access to their newsletter and board applications for the next academic year!
