Whether a freshman on campus for the first time or a senior on Cougar Walk for the last time, there is an overpowering desire to find like-minded people at a university swarming with students. Most clubs and organizations on campus can vouch that that desire is the reason they came into existence. After all, it is nice for a student to gather with people who understand him or her.
In 2011, a student, Lester Bosea, noticed one fraction of the campus did not have an outlet.
"Our founders noticed there was a substantially large population of Filipinos at Kean who showed an interest in wanting to learn more about their culture," stated Eliza De Armas, Co-President of FUNK and a psychology major and American Sign Language minor.
FUNK, which is short for Filipinos Uniting Nations at Kean, is a student-run organization. The executive board is comprised of: Vice President Andrei Genio, Co-President David Reyes, Treasurer Laura Nguyen, Secretary Christina Gonzalve, and Directors of Public Relations Anthony Tabin, Charles Tran and Josh Cadavos.
As apparent by its name, the club epitomizes Filipino culture.
"As Filipinos, we have a deep sense of family and connection, and the original members of this club wanted to make those connections through FUNK," De Armas shared. "Our goal as an organization is to educate, inform and promote the awareness of Filipino culture, issues and current events within the Filipino and Fil-Am [Filipino-American] community."
As De Armas mentioned, the Filipino culture places strong emphasis on togetherness. So it makes sense for there to be events held throughout the year that pay homage to the esteemed value of community.
FUNK is associated with FIND Inc., which stands for Filipino Intercollegiate Networking Dialogue. FIND Inc. holds biannual gatherings to which members of FUNK are invited to attend.
De Armas explained why FUNK finds it important to be guests of both FIND Inc. events.
"...There are two conferences: Find Dialogue [which takes place in the fall] and Find Conference [the spring convention]. Dialogue is a student-run conference, where participants attend workshop[s] that touch on topics relating to identity and events currently happening in the Fil-Am and Filipino community," said De Armas.
Reflecting the talking points at the fall conference, FUNK makes it a point to stay in touch with its roots by discussing Filipino current events at meetings.
"[At the] last Find Conference we focused on Filipino Veterans who fought in WWII, but did not receive...recognition or benefits usually given to war veterans...," De Armas continued. "We really stress attending these conferences because it helps foster family within our club, our FIND Community, and we learn about ourselves and Filipino culture."
It is still early in the semester, so there is nothing on FUNK's agenda aside from meetings. In previous semesters, events were planned with the Kean community in mind, appealing to what college students wanted.
"Our biggest event was Who Got the FUNK, a talent showcase held in Wilkins Theatre. We have held many dance workshops and fundraisers for Filipino charities. Our general body meetings frequent[ly] touch on current events in the Philippines and in the Filipino-American community," said De Armas.
FUNK general meetings take place every other Monday in Hennings Hall room 104 during college hour. Typical meeting agendas include "discussions that are inclusive to all cultures, such as what it means to be an American with an ethnic background," De Armas shared. "All of our discussions are to help connect ourselves with our varying cultures and to grow a better understanding in how we see ourselves."
Becoming a member is a smooth transaction. After a student attends two meetings, membership is granted.
"Membership is open to people of all backgrounds, especially those interested about learning about the Filipino culture...," De Armas stated. "Throughout the years, FUNK has gathered members of not only Filipino descent, but of a multicultural background."
The essential theme of FUNK is to bring students together with one commonality: an enthusiasm-driven interest in Filipino culture.
As a club, "We...hope to foster a fun learning environment and instill a sense of family within our members," De Armas stated.
More information on FUNK can be found by either going on the club's Cougar Link page or attending a meeting.
More information on FIND Inc. and its biannual events can be accessed at http://www.findinc.
