Emma Alegria Castillo 
Emma Castillo/THE RIDER Â
The Geology Club at UTRGV is one of the campus’s oldest student organizations, founded over 50 years ago. Though the club became buried with the COVID-19 pandemic, officers are working to bring it back to life with new members, events and rocks.
Sofia Martinez, vice president of the club, said its mission is to spark interest in geology and raise awareness about the unique landscapes and minerals of the Rio Grande Valley.
“[We want to] introduce people to the geology of our area,” Martinez said. “There’s a lot of interesting places in the Valley that people aren’t aware of, even though we live here.”
Club activities include local and out-of-Valley field trips, camping and on-campus socials. Past trips have taken members to Roma, the Enchanted Rock State Natural Park, and South Padre Island.
In October, members plan to attend the Texas Hydro-Geo Workshop in Boerne, near San Antonio, where students camp out for three days while learning from scientists and professors about topics ranging from hydrology to cave mapping.
“It’s something I would have never … been able to do if I wasn’t part of the Geology Club,” said Valeria Garza, Brownsville coordinator. “I wouldn’t have gotten that experience anywhere else.”
Garza added the club also hosts fundraisers to cover travel costs, ensuring student members do not have to pay out of pocket.
Other club events looking to be implemented this semester, according to the coordinator, include hiking trips, socials with pumpkin painting or LoterĂa and inviting professors to present.
President Taliyah Treviño said her goal is to build community while giving students opportunities to explore science in a fun way.
“You don’t have to be a STEM major or be interested in rocks specifically,” Treviño said. “We’re all having fun and learning science in the process.”
Membership is open to all students with no fees required.
“It’s been the oldest club in UTRGV, and we want to keep going with that tradition,” Martinez said. “We would like the club to continue growing.”
For more information, students can follow the club on Instagram at @utrgv_geologyclub or join via V Link.
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