(Photo courtesy of Corina Tapscott)For students interested in wellness, planning events or tackling important issues around the area, ASU’s DPC Aware club has all that and more.
Based out of the Downtown campus, the club aims to increase preventative awareness among ASU students about a wide spectrum of wellness issues such as sexual health, stress management, substance abuse, healthy body image and many others.
Social work sophomore and club president Corina Tapscott has been a part of DPC Aware since the start of her freshman year. She said she enjoys taking important topics and finding ways to get students interested in them.
“They’re usually issues that haven’t been talked about that much or that people don’t usually want to talk about, like sexual assault or unhealthy relationships,” Tapscott said. “We bring them to the forefront and say this is an issue within our community and we can change that.”
Tapscott added that club members find ways of relating the issues to ASU and show students how the topics are relevant in their immediate environments.
She said members of the club are able to choose causes that they want to advocate for and plan events at the university to spark interest among other students.
DPC Aware hosts activities each month that are related to the initiatives they decide to work on. The club has arranged events like the Body Pride Dinner and Consent Week at ASU.
The club has about 30 to 40 members and Tapscott said those who aren't able to come to the meetings can stay connected with events and projects through email.
Club secretary and sophomore business communication major Ester Cruz said DPC Aware has taught her many useful skills.
“I’ve learned how to communicate effectively and I think that will be helpful in any career I choose because I can interact with people,” she said. “(DPC Aware) develops both your professional and personal skills.”
Cruz has been a part of the club for a year and said she likes that members can pick topics they care about to work on, noting that DPC Aware is not very restrictive.
“Everyone (in the club) helps you accomplish any task you’d like,” Cruz said. “All members have a voice.”
Cruz believes another aspect that makes the club unique is that it offers scholarships to its members as a way to give back for their volunteer work. She said her favorite project this year was Consent Week.
The week included a dinner that attracted almost triple the number of students that the members expected to see.
Cruz added that DPC Aware is made up of very dedicated students who like to be active and engage.
“Anyone who wants to gain leadership experience or advocate for important topics (should join),” Cruz said. “That’s what we’re all about, and it’s fun too; it’s not just work.”
Meetings are held every Tuesday night from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Student Center at the Downtown campus. To join, or for more information visit facebook.com/DPCAware or email Corina Tapscott at crtapsco@asu.edu.
Reach the reporter at bridget.dowd@asu.edu or follow @bridgetbernice on Twitter.
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