SJC to the Second Power

December 01, 2015

A big allure of St. Joseph’s College is the distinct culture of our communities. Not just the overall diverse College community, but those subsets that sprout organically through student interest and needs.

This semester, SJC Brooklyn introduced SJC2 to its students. The school’s first computer club, the organization seeks to provide opportunities for students to pursue projects beyond the classroom.

“Computer Science is a field that is undergoing a great deal of change, and that requires us as educators to come up with new ways to engage the new generation of students,” the club's adviser and Mathematics and Computer Science faculty member Salim Arfaoui says. “SJC is a school that values new ideas. That need for change has introduced the Computer Club.”

As the job market teems with uncertainty, a growing number of young people have sought out careers in computer science. This flourishing field ensures opportunities that challenge its inhabitants and also secure jobs that evolve over time. It wasn’t long before SJC2 ’s president Christopher Viquez ’18 noticed a chance to seize the moment.

After collaborating with Arfaoui earlier this semester, Viquez helped birth SJC2. The club now operates to benefit students academically, whether through tutorial work stations, students mentoring students, related scientific purposes and projects, thereby increasing knowledge and performance in the field of computer science and its applications.

In addition to providing academic assistance for students and a community for those intrigued by computer science, the club also hosts guests speakers who thrive in the field. On December 1, SJC2 invited Trevor John, software engineer at Draft, a Manhattan-based company that produces a popular fantasy-sports application, to Tuohy Hall to speak to SJC Brooklyn students about developing software for mobile devices.

"We are committed to furthering this club and expand its service. We are planning to add more activities and events and get more students involved. This is just the beginning and there is a lot more to come.”
- SJC2 Adviser and Mathematics and Computer Science faculty member Salim Arfaoui.

Read more about SJC Brooklyn's Math Clinic launch after our recent partnership with Boys Hope Girls Hope (BHGH) -- a free afterschool program designed to provide math extra help to high school students enrolled in the BHGH residential program.