On Feb. 17, Palm Beach Atlantic University hosted its 57th annual club rush event. New and returning students gathered on the Rinker Greene from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. to learn about a variety of clubs. The event provided students with the opportunity to interact with existing club members and leaders and learn more about what each club had to offer. Several of the cultural clubs, including Club Asia and the Hispanic Heritage Club, seek to build community and create recognition among students by celebrating cultural recognition.
Club Asia was a prominent club at this year’s club rush. The club was founded by Amelia Anton, a senior at PBA. Since her first year in college, Anton has dreamed of creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for students of Asian heritage. After arriving at PBA, she was saddened the lack of clubs geared to minority heritages saddened her, and began Club Asia as a response.
According to Anton, Club Asia is now “a unique club too, because it's the first club of its kind in PBA history. It's really beautiful to see how it's the first of many clubs of its kind and is bringing more community and unity on campus.”
Despite being grounded in Asian heritage, Anton said that Club Asia welcomes students of all backgrounds. Anton described events like trivia and origami night, where more than 50 participants gathered in McArthur Hall.
“We were just there to have fun with each other, fellowship with one another, and appreciate the art of origami,” said Anton.
Another of PBA's cherished cultural groups, the Hispanic Heritage Club, is a student-led group created to celebrate Hispanic culture while sharing it with the rest of the student body. Emily Rodriguez, one of the group's members, stated that the club has been active for almost three years, with 2025 being the busiest year yet. The club's events have served to build a sense of community and cultural celebration among its members.
According to Rodriguez, the club’s salsa dancing night is their most popular event, where students can gather to dance, eat, and enjoy Latin music. Rodriguez said some students stumbled upon the event because they heard its music throughout the campus. She said they were very excited once they were excited and pleasantly surprised after discovering the dance night.
“The salsa night was a huge success, and it was really cute because we had people come who said they just heard the music, and they came up,” said Rodriguez.
This year's Club Rush showcased these cultural groups and many other student-led organizations. Some clubs were dedicated to physical activities like karate and surfing, while others were geared toward more intellectual discussions like theology and apologetics. Students seemed eager to engage with various clubs at the event, and many students could grab business cards or tentatively sign up for club events happening during the upcoming semester.
By Eden Yacovetti
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