As an auxiliary to the honors program, the Honors Club at Moorpark College is an opportunity for students to stand out to colleges when it comes time to transfer.

“[The point is] to bring the importance of academic world and have some fun with it as well,” said Grace Meyer, 19, liberal studies major and club historian.

The Honors Club, founded in 2005, plans group events to fulfill the volunteer and cultural enrichment activity requirements of the honors program, but the club is not exclusive to those registered in the honors program.

Meyer said that her schedule restricted her from participating in the honors program, but she joined the club to get involved in school.

“It sounded interesting,” Meyer said. “I liked the idea that [the Honors club] was both academic and you know, there was the fun side to it.

Maayan Bahalul, 19, business major was elected vice president for fall 2016. She noticed in her first semester of college that she was going to have to work for it if she was going to have a social life at a commuter college. Then she discovered the honors club at club rush.

“I think it’s like a forum for students to come and be more involved in our community,” Bahalul said. “I just wanted to be with more people that had the same interests as me, who like school and like to learn stuff.”

Everyone is invited to attend Honors Club events.

“If you want to bring friends… the more the merrier,” Meyer said. “We’re not exclusive in that way.

Earlier this month the club hosted an event for non-traditional cultural enrichment, a free showing of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in an auditorium at Moorpark College.

“So Star Wars, that’s Hollywood,” said Cynthia Barnett, sociology professor and advisor to the club. “Still, maybe there’s a discussion that people might have following… it’s about life. Social issues were addressed, from the sensitivities that people have toward one another to war, to interracial relationships. There’s all kinds of things there.”

Barnett established the honors program in 2000 with three other Moorpark College faculty members: Grethe Wygant, a mathematics professor, who retired last year, Ranford Hopkins, a current professor of history and Dr. Eva Conrad, who at the time was the executive Vice President of Moorpark College.

Recalling the founding of the Honors Club in 2005, Barnett said it was a female member of the honors program, who everyone called “Q,” who had the idea for the club. The student wrote the bylaws and spoke to classes to round up members, Barnett said.

“She laid the groundwork for it,” Barnett said.

For the bimonthly club meetings, Barnett maintains a traditional format, and values.

“I want [the students] to learn parliamentary procedure in terms of running a meeting,” Barnett said. “I want them to be very inclusive, meaning that they have activities that everybody is going to enjoy, that they’re not doing anything that would be exclusive of categories of people.”

The Honors Club meets to gather input from the club for future events, and the officers try to meet additionally each week, to finalize event details, Meyer said.

“We all kind of help out with ideas,” Meyer said. “Everybody kind of helps each other.”

For more information on the Honors club, or the Honors program, visit the Honors club Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/moorparkhonorsclub