Palmer College of Chiropractic

Current Students

Clubs and Organizations

At Palmer College of Chiropractic, organizations provide outlets for a wide range of student interests. There are many active student organizations, including chiropractic technique clubs, professionally oriented organizations, state and international clubs, fraternities, sororities and more. The Student Services Office maintains a listing of all clubs and organizations. Click here for a Listing of Club Officers and how to contact them.

• Fraternities and sororities
• International clubs
• Miscellaneous clubs
• State clubs
• Technique Clubs
• Student government, campus activity organizations
• Student publication

Athletics and Recreation

Palmer College of Chiropractic sponsors a full complement of athletic and recreation programs for students and staff. There are recreational teams such as women's and co-ed softball, which compete in city leagues, as well as intramural sports. In addition, the College sponsors several competitive teams, including rugby, hockey, baseball, soccer, golf and more, that compete against colleges and club teams throughout the United States. For more information about any team, contact student activity coordinator Lora.Clevenger@palmer.edu or athletic and recreation coordinator Ron.OBrien@palmer.edu

• Intramurals
• Recreation and fitness
• Sports teams

Fraternities and Sororities

Delta Delta Pi

Delta Delta Pi is a professional co-ed chiropractic fraternity founded in 1968 that encourages its members to explore any chiropractic techniques that interest them. It has many benefits for its members at its house, including a technique room with adjusting tables and diagnostic equipment, a game room with a pool table, a newly refurbished bar room, computers, a copier and other office equipment. The pledge period is two weeks long two times per trimester, with a goal of ultimately helping students perform better on state and practical board examinations. Pledging at the fraternity works around test schedules.

Contact information:
124 - W. 12th St.
Davenport, IA  52803
(563) 322-0561

Delta Sigma Chi

Established in 1913, Delta Sigma Chi (Doctors of Straight Chiropractic) was the first professional chiropractic fraternity. Its goal is to cultivate a professional sentiment among chiropractors, schools and students. The fraternity is currently reproducing the "Green Books" of B.J. Palmer, which contain information on principles, definitions, clinical research and the evolution of chiropractic. Other activities include philosophy/education speakers, open-forum debates and technique nights, as well as an annual Christmas party and Easter egg hunt for the children of Palmer students. The fraternity also sponsors the John Connolly Award, presented to one graduating student each trimester who excels inside and outside the classroom.

Pi Kappa Chi

Founded in 1961 by Dr. David D. Palmer and Palmer students, Pi Kappa Chi is a professional fraternity that elevates, promotes and strengthens the reputation of the Doctor of Chiropractic and the chiropractic profession in the world. The organization is progressive in approaching the philosophy, art and science of chiropractic, allowing members to understand the full potential of the profession rather than just one segment. It emphasizes quality academics, involvement in issues concerning the chiropractic community and social activities.

Sigma Phi Chi

Established in 1911 by Dr. Mabel Heath Palmer, Sigma Phi Chi sorority is a group of professional women dedicated to promoting and preserving chiropractic. Philosophy, education, technique, community service and leadership skills are benefits for members. With alumni members worldwide, the organization has a vast network of information and resources available.
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International Clubs

Australian-New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC)

The goal of ANZAC is to provide an outlet for Australians and New Zealanders to discuss educational, professional and social aspects of Palmer College. Events include an annual barbecue, Homecoming picnic and Boxing Day Dinner.

Canadian Club

The club provides information regarding Canadian National Boards, licensing and legislative issues, with members periodically campaigning for legislative policies. It also promotes the Canadian endowed scholarship fund and provides a resource for any Canadian attending Palmer.

German-Speaking Club

Its activities include introducing Germany and other European countries to students, practicing the German language, sharing information specific to practicing chiropractic in Europe and offering social and informational gatherings. Currently the club has members from Austria, Germany, Switzerland and the United States.

Korean Student Association

The Korean Student Association regularly has a reception to meet first-trimester students and welcome them to Palmer. Members discuss chiropractic issues in Korea, such as technique and the environment. The organization also is involved in the Student Korea Chiropractic Association.

Swiss Club

Every Swiss person at Palmer College automatically becomes a member of the club. Its activities include helping new Swiss students adapt to life in the Quad-Cities and classes at Palmer, as well as social gatherings. The organization also receives pertinent information on Swiss and American chiropractic boards.
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Miscellaneous Clubs

Pediatric Club

The student-run Pediatric Club promotes awareness of the important role that chiropractic plays in children's health care. We invite guest speakers to talk about topics such as the vertebral subluxation complex, proper nutrition, care during pregnancy, the importance of breast feeding, giving a physical exam to a child and child adjusting. Topics also discussed include the relationship of chiropractic care to things like childhood illnesses (SIDS, OM, ADHD), infertility and vaccinations/immunizations. As a member of the club, you will receive up-to-date research articles at every meeting. All students and doctors are welcome to attend.

Sign Language Club

The club offers a free beginning sign language class on campus each trimester, teaching basic sign language communication skills along with deaf culture exposure. The organization has a grand finale "silent" party with several deaf individuals from the community. Classes are held at the Latter Day Saint Student Association building and are limited to 25 students. For more information, call (563) 388-2161.
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State Clubs

Iowa Club

The club, an extension of the Iowa Chiropractic Society, informs students of current events in Iowa that affect the chiropractic profession. Monthly meetings are held with occasional guest speakers on such topics as rural health care in Iowa, managed care bills in the Iowa legislature and buying/selling a practice. The club sponsors an annual picnic for Iowa students, their families and Palmer faculty.

Michigan Club

Established in 1995, the club seeks to open channels for communication, networking and information sharing between Palmer students from Michigan and chiropractors practicing there. Guest speakers talk on subjects such as philosophy, state legislative issues and other motivational topics involving chiropractic.

New York Club

The New York Club gives students feedback on current state laws and requirements concerning chiropractic and provides an opportunity to meet doctors practicing and students planning to practice in the state. The club meets three times per trimester.
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Technique Clubs

Applied Kinesiology Club

The Applied Kinesiology (AK) Club is dedicated to the study of Applied Kinesiology as defined by the International College of Applied Kinesiology (ICAK). AK is a system of analysis which uses manual muscle testing as a functional neurological evaluation to augment standard evaluation techniques. AK is concerned with neuromuscular function as it relates to structural, biomechanical and emotional physiology. AK is based on chiropractic principles and deals with adjustment of the spine, extremities and cranial bones. Club members will learn evaluation techniques using hands-on methods whenever possible. As per Palmer College policy, adjustments will not be performed in club. Beginners and advanced members will usually meet separately. Both members and non-members are welcome to attend meetings.

Activator Club

The Palmer College Activator Club exists to help students learn the analysis and procedures of the Activator Methods Chiropractic Technique. The technique is well established in the Palmer Chiropractic Outpatient Clinics. The club serves to introduce students to the technique and allow more experienced externs to explore and improve their skills. The club meets weekly and is guided by experienced doctors who are also Activator instructors at Palmer.

Gonstead Club

Palmer students head up the Palmer Gonstead Club. Its mission is to promote the teachings of Dr. C. S. Gonstead. The Gonstead System is taught in Mt. Horeb, Wis., by the Gonstead Seminars of Chiropractic. This club is by no means intended to be a substitute for the Gonstead seminar series but is to be a supplement to the knowledge gained from these seminars. The club meets every day at 11 a.m. in room L224 and every Tuesday and Thursday night from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Landmark apartments. Instructors are elite members of the Palmer Gonstead Club Committee. Aside from learning the Gonstead System, the club is also an opportunity for students to get hands-on training to be better prepared when they enter the Palmer Chiropractic Clinics. The club also offers guest speakers regularly.

Kale Club

The Kale Club is actually a continuation of B.J. Palmer's upper cervical work on the knee chest solid head piece. In 1935, B.J. Palmer opened the B.J. Palmer Research Clinic for $1 million. The clinic had a medical staff where blood pressure, EKG, urine analysis and more were used to diagnose the condition of the patient. The patient then underwent a chiropractic evaluation to determine if there was a need for an upper cervical adjustment. The B.J. Palmer research clinic specialized in care for the worst of the worst cases. Local chiropractors sent their patients who they were unsuccessful in helping to the B.J. Palmer Clinic. From 1935-1951, the Director of The Research Clinic was Dr. Lyle Sherman. The majority of the adjusting was done on the knee chest solid headpiece table. In 1951, Dr. Sherman left the B.J. Palmer Research Clinic and started his own practice. Dr. Michael Kale worked with Dr. Sherman and learned the knee chest solid headpiece adjustment done in the B.J. Palmer research clinic. Today, Dr. Kale teaches the knee chest solid headpiece adjusting, and the Kale Club helps to carry on that teaching.

Motion Palpation Club

The Motion Palpation Club is associated with the Motion Palpation Institute of Research, which is continually researching its palpation and adjusting techniques to achieve maximum biomechanical efficiency. The primary goal of Motion Palpation Club is to help all students become proficient in the art of motion palpation, while developing an understanding of clinical biomechanics and neurology.

The Motion Palpation Club covers:

• Palpation of the spine and extremities;
• Concepts of end feel, joint play and joint dysfunction;
• Biomechanics of joints and the back force transmission system;
• Neurological considerations.

The club meets twice daily and instructs Palmer students by:

• Teaching specific palpations;
• Spending time with "hands-on" palpation;
• Teaching set-ups for adjusting;
• Referencing literature regarding the mechanics of the spine and extremities.

Motion Palpation is one tool that helps chiropractors locate subluxations by hand.

The National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association (NUCCA) Club.

The Palmer NUCCA Club is affiliated with the primary NUCCA organization, which was founded in 1966 by Dr. Ralph R. Gregory. Dr. Gregory and Dr. John Gnostic invented the NUCCA system during the course of the previous 20 years. This technique is based on the condylar-axial concept that the axis moves laterally as if on the rim of a circle.

The NUCCA system of chiropractic practice is a natural health system that requires precise measurement of the displacements of the atlas vertebrae that are involved in the subluxation complex, including their relationships as found through X-ray films. From these precise measurements, an adjustment is structured for each patient that will maximally reduce all the vertebral displacements. The purpose of the adjustment is to normalize the patients' electro-chemical flow over their nervous system, restore the distortions of the spinal column to the body's vertical axis, activate self-healing and return the body to a state of health. Palmer student practitioners meet once a week to hone their skills to practice the NUCCA system on patients. The Club currently has 12 members and was established at Palmer during the 1980s. Periodically, the Club invites guest speakers.

The Pettibon Club

The organization's intention is to instruct spinal biomechanics as taught by Dr. Burl Pettibon. The club focuses on biomechanics, adjusting and rehabilitation of the spine. The club always teaches the most current Pettibon Procedures. Its events include meetings two days a week, a four-weekend elective and many guest speakers. All students and Doctors of Chiropractic are welcome. 

Sacro-Occipital Technique (SOT)

The purpose of the SOT club is to promote SOT on campus by helping to develop competent SOT practitioners and generating interest and discussion concerning this chiropractic system. The club will initiate students unfamiliar with SOT by providing references and reading material. Referrals to externs who practice SOT in the Palmer Chiropractic Clinics will also be made to interested students. The SOT club will serve as an environment to master skills taught by Palmer Professor Dr. Vern Hagen in the SOT electives. 

Thompson Club

Thompson terminal point uses a high-velocity, low-force thrust, with the segmental drop piece table to facilitate the adjustment. Thompson Club's purpose is to explain this widely used technique to its student members. Topics covered in the club include Derefield leg check, Thompson-Derefield analysis and extremities. All of the set-ups are shown and explained.

Toggle Recoil Club

Toggle Recoil Club meets at least two times a week. Meetings focus on instrumentation, palpation, leg checks and chirometer. When permitted by the toggle recoil instructors at Palmer College, members adjust each other if subluxation is indicated. The group integrates the philosophy of Chiropractic into these meetings, as well as discusses philosophy in relationship to the upper cervical system. Members welcome all Palmer students from any trimester.
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Student Government, Campus Activity Organizations

Student Council

This elected group represents the student body voice in school policies, activities and events. Representatives are from each class, the Associate of Science in Chiropractic Technology degree program and the Graduate program, along with an executive committee (elected annually) of a president, first and second vice presidents, secretary and treasurer.

Students are also represented in decision-making bodies like the Collegial Ethics Board, Collegial Appeals Board, search committees and others. Also under the guise of Student Council are The Beacon student newspaper and the Curriculum and Clinic Committees. Headed by the second vice president, the Curriculum Committee deals with changes in the courses taught at Palmer, as well as strengthening teacher-student relationships. Chaired by the first vice president, the Clinic Committee acts as a link to the Clinic administration. It addresses concerns of the student externs and helps maximize the students' clinical experience. Student Council sponsors trimester blood drives, the Thanksgiving Food Drive, courtyard parties, events during Homecoming, National Board reviews and more.

Palmer Campus Guides

The Campus Guides organization was founded in 1959 by Dr. David Palmer to promote the betterment of the College and advance the philosophy, science and art of chiropractic. Student members volunteer their time to give tours of the Palmer campus and the historic Palmer Mansion. In addition, Campus Guides represent the College at various functions during the year, such as Lyceum and graduation.
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Student Publication

The Beacon, the student publication of Palmer College, is printed monthly in a newspaper format and has a circulation of about 2,700. It serves to inform students about campus life, local cultural and social events along with the newest research, techniques and equipment. The paper relies solely on advertising for its support and receives no school funding for its operation.

Advertising rates are

• 1/16 page: $45
• 1/8 page: $65
• 1/4 page: $115
• 1/2 page: $200
• Full page: $325
• Full color:  $150
  All prices subject to a set-up fee.

Questions and comments can be directed to the current Editor-in-Chief and/or emailed to: beacon@palmer.edu.

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Intramural

For  more information, please visit our  Campus Recreation Site.

Palmer College sponsors many intramural sports, with about one-third of students participating. Flag football and volleyball leagues are held in the fall; basketball, volleyball and floor hockey leagues run during the winter; and softball is played during the summer. In addition, there are tournaments for several sports throughout the year. Information regarding intramurals is posted around campus regularly and available in the Student Services Office.
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Recreation and Fitness

For  more information, please visit our  Campus Recreation Site.

Palmer College believes recreation is an essential, integrated component of the ongoing educational experience. Student Services provides multifaceted recreational and fitness opportunities to meet the diverse needs of students and the campus community, with the goal of assisting the Palmer family in developing the highest possible quality of life.

The Palmer Auditorium houses both the recreation and fitness center. The auditorium's main floor has 16,000 square feet of surface, which provides room for two basketball or two volleyball courts. An additional 10,000 square feet of space is available for use on the second level. The fitness center comprises a fully equipped weight room and a state-of-the-art cardiovascular room.
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Sports Teams

For  more information, please visit our  Campus Recreation Site.

Palmer Dragons Hockey

The Palmer Hockey team is a member of the American Collegiate Hockey Association and the 2000-2001 Mid-American Collegiate Hockey Association Conference Regular Season Champions. The Dragons joined the MACHA Conference in 1999 and subsequently won the league championship and finished 8^th at the ACHA National Tournament. Any Palmer Student is welcome to come out and play for the team.

Palmer Rugby Football Club

In the early 1960s, Dr. David Palmer recognized the potential value of a loosely organized group of ruggers on campus. Under his direction, an official Rugby Club was established and a winning tradition began. In its early years, Palmer Rugby became the dominant force in the collegiate ranks, winning two national championships. More recently, the program has had success in the Premier Club Division of the Midwest Rugby Union. The club finished fourth in the 1995 National Tournament. The College has a scholarship program to ease the financial burden of its rugby athletes.

Baseball

The Palmer baseball team was established in 1986. The team is in a semi-professional league and plays most games at John O'Donnell Stadium, which also hosts the Class A Quad-City River Bandits. The season is about 30 regular season games, followed by state and national tournaments. Dr. Kevin Cunningham and Dr. Terry Bernard, both faculty members, coach the team.

Softball

The Palmer women's softball team competes in a Class C slow-pitch league in Davenport, as well as tournaments throughout the summer. The team generally finishes at or near the top of its league. Betty Bryan, a Palmer staff member, is the team adviser.

Soccer

Palmer has men's and women's soccer teams, with both competing year-round in indoor and outdoor leagues, the Iowa Games and other regional tournaments.

Men's Golf

The men's golf team plays during both the fall and spring seasons in several collegiate invitationals throughout Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa. Students can try out in both the fall and spring.

Volleyball

The Palmer volleyball club is a co-ed recreational team that competes in area leagues and  tournaments and sponsors the school's intramural league. The club travels to at least two tournaments a year to play against other collegiate club teams. Club members meet twice a week to play and practice in the Palmer Auditorium.

Table Tennis

The club travels to tournaments around the Midwest and operates in conjunction with the Quad-City Table Tennis Club to bring in the best area competition. The club plays weekly in the Palmer Auditorium.

Tennis

The tennis club, under the leadership of Palmer faculty member Dr. Henry Brockington, meets throughout the year to practice and play. The club also competes locally in individual tournaments and collegiate invitationals.

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