This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at SFU chapter.

SFU is known for infamously being a commuter school – or so they say. The students who say that SFU is a commuter school are usually the ones that will attend class, study for a bit on campus, and go home.

However, if you are looking for ways to make new friends at school, form a study group for that one class you’re struggling in, or if you simply want to go out and have some fun while the night’s still young, it is never too late to join CAC, SFU’s largest social club – you will meet fellow SFU students that have the similar interests and passions as you, and you won’t have to worry about going up to a stranger in your 200 person lecture and asking them about that upcoming midterm you have after reading break, as some of the people you will meet in CAC are in the same major as you are.

Geron Malbas is currently CAC’s president for the 2017-2018 school year. As president, some of his tasks and responsibilities include chairing all club meetings, overseeing the entire executive and director board and ensuring that all duties are performed in an effective, fulfilling, and welcoming manner, and being readily available for contact by all executive members. He also takes the chance to get to know everyone in the club; the first memory I had with Geron was when we, along with another friend in the club, had just finished a midterm for a Communications class we took last Fall semester in 2017. I was ready and set to go home, but Geron stopped me as I was about to head out and he asked me if I wanted to celebrate the end of midterms by getting some ramen downtown.

This week, I am sitting down to talk to Geron to learn more about CAC, as well as his experiences of being a senior-year student at SFU and finding out some neat tidbits about him.

Name: Geron Malbas

Year: 4th

Major(s): Communications

Hometown: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

NL: Can you tell me more about CAC, and what makes you decide to join?

GM: Sure! So CAC, also known as the Canadianized Asian Club (although we’re trying to rebrand it as just CAC because we are inclusive), is the largest social club on SFU campus, as you probably already know. Aside from that, CAC tries its best to make an inclusive community on campus that strives to allow the opportunity for people to connect and make long-lasting friendships. This is typically done through events of many types, such as icebreakers, athletic events, unique activities, and more.

I actually joined CAC by accident. Back in my first year, I didn’t really know what I was doing with myself on campus; I often just walked around through all the odd halls in AQ trying to find study spaces, typically finding nowhere to actually study. Around the week of Fall Clubs Days, CAC of that year held their annual Fall Icebreaker. I didn’t even know it was happening, and I only managed to catch the very, very, very, end of it when basically everyone had already left. I was walking to the lower bus loop, and I happened to spot a friend from high school talking to someone in the ubiquitous Red Exec T-shirt. My friend shoved a paper in my hand, saying, “You need to join CAC!”, and I applied thinking it was just to become a member. I honestly had no idea what I was getting myself into, but I did the interview being as honest as I could, and they took me in! Probably one of the best mistakes in my life, hahaha. CAC’s well-known Red Exec T-shirts, which every member owns.

NL: You’ve held so many positions throughout the years, such as Froshee, Internal Coordinator, VP Internal, and President. What did you enjoy about working in these positions and which role is your absolute favourite during your time at CAC?

GM: The thing about CAC is that it works to help people develop leadership skills, as well as concrete understandings of how an event should be planned. In my first three years, I essentially just planned events, working to learn how to take on a leadership role. This was during my Froshee, Internal Coordinator, and Internal Director positions, respectively. After that, I took on the VP Internal role, and now the current President role. I really enjoyed getting to have the freedom to be rather unique in the event planning process, as in anything goes for what you want to make. As a Froshee, I helped plan a Lazer Tag event, and during my time in Internal, I did a pole dancing class and a bowling night. In the VPI role, I took what I learned in those first three years and enjoyed executing an event that got everyone in CAC together and simply getting to know everyone in the organization. In the President role, I enjoy knowing that I can get people excited for my own energy, which spreads throughout everyone in the club and in the campus.

I’d have to say that my absolute favourite role during my time in CAC is either my time as a Froshee, or as an Internal Coordinator. Both roles are rather similar, as they both don’t have the same kind of responsibility as a Director or President would, which is the reason why I loved these positions so much. In my first and second year, I really didn’t know what I was doing with my schooling, and I really needed the time, space, and community that understood that I wanted to just experience the social life at school and to make friends as I went along. Being a Froshee meant that I could just be my incredibly loud self, and make about a hundred friends within a span of a week. Being a Coordinator meant I could shout out as many ideas as I can, and bring one to fruition if it seemed like the most fun. I just really enjoyed having an experience where the responsibilities of being in fourth year didn’t weigh down on me as much as it does, haha.

Werk it, Geron!

NL: Did you ever think or decide you were going to be President? Why or why not?

GM: Honestly, I never really thought about it until I applied to be VP Internal. I think that sentiment kind of goes the same for a lot of people that join CAC, especially people that join in their second year as Coordinators. However, I found that I ended up really thinking about becoming President as I began to realize the scope of leadership and responsibility there was upon ascending the ladder of the CAC hierarchy. It was also a bit of looking around my other directors and senior team, and realizing that if they were thinking they weren’t going to be president, then who would end up doing it? I love CAC with a passion and I want it to thrive after I leave, and I could only see that vision come to life if I approached it with a passion that could trickle down from the very top as a president.

NL: I can definitely see that from your very first year at SFU as a Froshee, to now being in your fourth year as the President, you are very dedicated and devoted towards CAC – everything from how the club operates, to its mission statement: “Enhancing and completing a student’s university experience by hosting a variety of events and forging long-lasting friendships.” Since CAC is known for its multitude of events they host during the school year, can you describe an event that CAC typically hosts and what makes it your favourite event?

GM: I’m quite biased because I’ve been a part of it and organized it for so long, but the Fall Icebreaker is my absolute favourite. During a time where people are so shy and anxious to meet people during Fall Clubs Days, with all the new and first year students, it’s the biggest breath of fresh air knowing that our icebreaker is one of the biggest events we hold that helps build connections for so many people. It also incredibly helps in bringing people closer to CAC as a club, and the execs. Not to mention, all the games are always such a blast to host, and I always have way too much fun doing Limb to Limb. Just seeing so many people happy and energetic is something that really brings a smile to my face. I honestly look at them and think about how such an experience is something I wish I got, cause I know how much it would have helped me feel connected to SFU, the school community and the university experience.

Students participating in CAC’s Fall 2017 Icebreaker event.

NL: From your experience as a senior-year student, what advice would you give to first-year SFU students who are making the transition from high school to post-secondary?

GM: I’ve been in school since 2013, I feel so old hahaha! My biggest piece of advice is to ease in slowly. I started out in the Faculty of Chemistry in my first year, getting in on grades that were seemingly easy to get in high school. The cruel thing that university does to you is knock you down a peg, along with your ego, when you realize just how big of a change it is. In high school, where you are surrounded by your friends you see every single day and where you can churn out your assignment in the classroom or during your lunch break, you start to realize that you cannot let that same mentality slide in post-secondary. I would strongly recommend doing just three courses in your first semester to get an idea of the workload and to start looking into extracurriculars, like clubs, sports, or volunteer opportunities on campus. Post-secondary can be one of the best experiences of your life if you manage it wisely. It’s a healthy balance of managing your mental health – like stress, anxiety, depression etc., to your social life, and your school life. Just take it at a pace that helps you feel comfortable, and once you finally get to that pace, then turn it up a notch when you gain the confidence that an old soul like me has when he walks into a tutorial.

NL: Aside from being president of one of SFU’s largest, most popular clubs on campus, are you part of any other involvements or commitments, whether it would be on or off-campus?

GM: Honestly, CAC is such a big time commitment in my life that I find it difficult to do much else. I guess that may also be because I dedicate way more time than I should, hahaha. But I do work as the Social Media Manager for Rain or Shine Ice Cream in Vancouver, so I do a lot of that in my spare time or days off. I would ideally like to become more involved and committed to more things, as I’ve finally gained the confidence in myself to feel like I’m self-sufficient and able, but I find that I’ve been just too busy with my current commitments to really branch out. Or maybe that’s just me being lazy, and really enjoying my time on YouTube, hahaha.

NL: That’s amazing you’re the face behind one of Vancouver’s beloved ice cream shops! If you were an ice cream flavour from Rain or Shine, what flavour would it be and why?

GM: Gosh darn, it sucks cause Rain or Shine has only a couple keeper flavours, but maybe hundreds of seasonal flavours they’ve done. If I had to BE a flavour, it would probably be something like really minimalistic and sweet… like Matcha White Chocolate, or Roasted Milk Tea. Oh, wait we never made those HAHAHA uhhh if it was an actual flavour from Rain Or Shine, I’d probably say London Fog. It’s really simple, but sweet and it’s a rage amongst all the ice cream lovers. My actual favourite flavour is our Lemon Squared, by the way. It’s a lemon base with lemon square chunks in it and I cry every time when it comes out.

Wanna spoon?

NL: You always find ways to have a great time and to spread joy and positivity in all sorts of places! No wonder your energy spreads off at CAC and Rain or Shine. What do you like to do for fun in a city that is supposedly nicknamed as “No Fun City”?

GM: I actually do kind of find it difficult to find things to do in Vancouver, unless I’m with a solid group of people. I’m a bit of a homebody, not really into clubbing, but I’m always down for a drink or a bit of video games. A really solid place to go is the Storm Crow if you got a good group of pals who like board games. Another place I’d say is window shopping downtown; you can walk pretty much everywhere, so you get a workout and some awesome shopping therapy done! I also typically just eat or go to cafés, cause Vancouver has a really good food and coffee scene. My favourite cafe is Nemesis in downtown, and my favourite restaurant would either be Fable in Kitsilano, Miku at Waterfront, or The Flying Pig in Gastown. But honestly, Vancouver is best experienced with a friend, and as long as you have a buddy around, you can make fun anywhere you want in the city!

NL: That’s something I can agree with; whenever I want to explore the city, whether it would be from finding the best cafes and brunch spots, to indulging in some retail therapy down Robson Street, it’s always best to go with a friend. As for any future plans, what do you hope to do after SFU?

GM: I’d really like to work within media management in some fashion, either for a company I really like, such as Evo or Reigning Champ, or with SFU or UBC. I find that I typically want to work for companies that I see myself consuming a lot of their products from, or just aligning to their mission. My dream job would be to work for a sustainable or ethical fashion company like Everlane in their Media and Communications department.

NL: How has your time in post-secondary shaped you into the person you are today?

GM: It’s brought me so much perspective on life and interpersonal relationships. I would not have learned to be so considerate and empathetic if it weren’t for post-secondary, and just being able to do things on my own. Especially working a “real” job, and learning what I want to do in life, I’ve really begun to shape into the kind of person I have always looked up to. I still have lots of room to grow, and definitely, need to work on myself a bit more to become the best person I can be, but I look up and up and up as time continues to pass on.

Wednesday afternoons are spent at GMs (General Meetings).

Geron is always in a good moo-d!