An eager student traveled alone to help represent Oxnard College at a statewide conference, in hopes of learning about his major and bringing back valuable information to the Oxnard College Sociology Club.
John Garcia, a 49-year-old sociology major, arrived at the 21st Annual California Sociological Association (CSA) conference held in Riverside on Nov. 12-13, to attend several of the workshops offered by the organization that held the theme of “Sociology in a Time of Crisis.”
“Conferences are a great way to network,” said Garcia. “You learn about different schools, different programs and different types of research that people are doing. They will definitely enhance you, as a student.”
The conference was open to the public, but also encouraged for all sociology majors. The presenters for each workshop consisted of UC and CSU graduates and or faculty who explored the various aspects of social realms.
Although the rest of the OC Sociology Club could not attend the conference, Garcia was more than willing to attend on the club’s behalf and bring back valuable information to share with his peers.
Dr. Marie Butler, sociology professor and advisor for the OC Sociology Club, believes that it is very important and rewarding for students to attend and experience academic conferences and applauds Garcia for making the effort to drive out of his way.
“I think it’s a wonderful experience for students,” said Butler. “Undergraduate students especially, to be able to attend a state-wide regional conference in their major because it opens up their eyes to the kinds of research that is being conducted.”
Some of the topics included social stability, human trafficking, anti-Latino hate crimes, gender in the community, global social change, sociology of mental illness and many more.
CSA President, Toby Ewing, addressed the attendees in a welcome letter and expanded on this year’s theme for the conference.
“At issue is how well California is positioned to respond to the needs of residents in the areas of education, health and human services, housing, environmental protection,” said Ewing in his letter. “The 2010 CSA Annual Meeting touches upon many of these issues and many more related concerns.”
Garcia interacted in the workshops and posed many questions to the professional presenters.
“I want to learn as much as I can about the subject,” said Garcia. “So if I speak with people who are professionals in this field, the more I will learn and benefit.”
Garcia is currently preparing for his final research project, so this conference allowed him to hear about the approaches to research of other sociology students and their methods.
Sally Willson Weimer, research librarian at University California Santa Barbara, lectured on the importance of using the media and technology for your research. She also encouraged students to attend conferences, stating that it is beneficial for them to experience peer learning.
“It’s the greatest experience in the world,” said Wimer. “You get to learn from your cohort about creating research projects or conducting the research.”
