AMY WINKLER

English senior Eric Allen, right, from the Ambidextrous Armada club, and anthropology senior Satoshi Abe from the Soka Gakkai International club, take part in the ASUA club recognition meeting last night in the Social Sciences building. The meeting updated club members about new policies and potential fundraising opportunities.

Friday September 7, 2001

Organizations gather to learn ins and outs of funding, club policies

Hundreds of UA club representatives gathered yesterday in an assembly aimed to educate organizations about university policies and resources.

Ann Wolnick, senior coordinator for the Center for Student Involvement and Leadership, said the annual recognition assembly allows clubs to receive the necessary information to be officially recognized by the University of Arizona.

Once recognized, she said, an organization is able to receive Arizona Student Union Association funds to assist with club activities.

"Representatives at the assembly can learn everything from how to set up a bank account to getting helium to blow up balloons," she said.

Wolnick said that every year, a club, whether it has existed for several years or is brand new, must go through the recognition process because the organization's officers tend to change each school year. She added a club must submit the recognition forms with the signatures of its executive board, even if they are the same board members from the previous year.

She said the assembly consisted of several speakers presenting on such topics as obtaining ASUA funds, the use of school logos, liability issues and university activity involvement.

Wolnick said that last year the university recognized 385 clubs, and such an assembly allows vital information to be distributed to a large number of people at once.

She said clubs that did not attend the assembly can go to the Center for Student Involvement and Leadership and receive the needed documents.

Wolnick added that a group of students with a concept for a new club should also go to the center to get advice on how to bring their ideas to reality.

Jeremy Chambers, chairman for Camp Wildcat, said it was his first time representing the organization at the assembly and was interested in learning more about the numerous resources available from the university.

"Hopefully, we can figure out what we need to do to utilize the resources ASUA has to provide," he said.

He said the annual assembly is great because Camp Wildcat, which takes underprivileged children on camping trips, requests funding at least twice a school year.

Chambers added that the club commonly asks for funds to assist in campsite and bus rentals.

Elizabeth Young, representative from the pre-law fraternity Phi Alpha Delta, said the assembly and ASUA benefit all the university's clubs, especially with funding.

"That's a really good thing for a club because you don't have to pay for it," she said.

Jason Korner, ASUA appropriations board member, said university clubs have used all available resources very well in the past few years.

He added that the information packets provided at the assembly give a club all the needed information to be successful during the year.

"It's like basic training for clubs," he said.