Thirty students are members of a Bakersfield College club that advocates campus unity.
That club is the Latter-day Saints Student Association, a club that is starting up again after a few years of being inactive. The club’s new adviser is English professor Cynthia Hubble.
According to LDSSA President James Willey, the club’s main purpose is to create camaraderie among the students on campus, as well as to help others.
“We basically give ourselves for the benefit of other people,” he said. “That’s basically our motto.”
Working with other clubs is one of the goals of the LDSSA, Willey said.
The club members have done service projects on campus and have some planned as well, such as working in the library, tutoring and cleaning up around campus.
Willey said the club invites all students to join, no matter what their religious beliefs are.
“We respect and support the beliefs and ideas of everyone, no matter what religion they are from,” he said. “Everyone is welcome to join and be a part of it.”
Willey originally joined the club by visiting the church’s Institute of Religion, which is across the street from BC.
“Between classes I would hang out here and I eventually joined,” he said. “A lot of members here joined just by hanging out here. It’s a lot of fun.”
LDSSA also holds dances once a month to benefit the church and has its own equipment, such as a disco ball and music. The club also holds religious classes and game activities in the institute on weekends.
Willey said all are welcome to come.
“We invite everyone to come, the entire BC student body.”