ASG hosts club meet and greet

Written by: Tabitha Hanrion
Your newly elected Associated Student Government (ASG) leaders want you to know that their offices and their checkbooks are open and ready to work for you. The ASG hosted a Club Meet & Greet on May 12, inviting all of BCC’s clubs to attend. In total, 13 of BCC’s 51 clubs were represented, including the Asian Student Association, the Muslim Student Association and the newly chartered Film Club. The Meet & Greet began with each of the club representatives introducing themselves, sharing their accomplishments and suggesting areas in which the ASG could assist their clubs. Increasing student involvement is a major focus of all the clubs. The ASG President-elect, Amanda Alva, began the introductions of the new ASG leaders. Alva asked members of her administration to share why he or she decided to run for office and what they hoped to accomplish during their terms. Lee (Dominic) Lai Hang, the ASG’s incoming Club and Programs Representative, told the audience that increasing active members within BCC’s clubs is his top priority. Lai Hang asked that clubs come to him with any questions or suggestions they might have. Alva stated that her goal was to have the ASG act as a strong foundation for the clubs and “help them to have a lasting impact on the campus.” Alva noted that this was especially important since many of the students involved with the school’s clubs will be attending BCC for approximately two years. BCC’s clubs must be able to withstand the relatively short tenure of their student leaders. Following the introductions the floor was opened to questions from the attendees. Several questions regarding club funding were posed to the ASG leaders. Alva stated that $10,000 is set aside for BCC clubs for the 2008-2009 school year. Alva detailed the process a club must follow in order to receive funding, noting that many clubs are not aware of the funding that is available. Clubs can request money several times throughout the year. Alva went on to say that she hopes that more clubs become proactive when it comes to asking for funding. The ASG can provide funding for social events, guest speakers, leadership conferences and travel expenses. During the 2007-2008 school year the ASG granted funding to a variety of requests, including BCC’s Black Student Union, enabling two club members to attend the National Black Student Union Conference in Illinois. Funding requests must be presented at a Board of Directors meeting and clubs must also fill out a three-page funding request form that is available in Office C212 in the Student Union Building. Alva stated that in general, clubs receive 80 percent of the funding they request, with the remaining 20 percent raised by the clubs through fundraising. Sergey Smirnov, former ASG Vice President of Pluralism and Student Affairs, briefly covered the process in which clubs can request funding at an ASG Board of Directors meeting. Smirnov encouraged the clubs to bring forth more funding requests, explaining that the more funding requests the ASG receives, “the more opportunities there are for the clubs.” Alva closed the Meet & Greet by telling the attendees that she hopes that during her term as ASG president she can help BCC’s clubs take advantage of the many opportunities available to them.