Participation urged by ASUA

By Melissa Prentice

Arizona Daily Wildcat

With the help of student government, getting involved in ASUA programs and other campus clubs may soon be easier.

Associated Students of the University of Arizona members circulated flyers at freshman orientation sessions and have printed advertising encouraging students to "Get experience! Make a difference! Get involved!"

Wendy Fink, ASUA's Leadership Outreach director, said anyone who is interested in getting involved in ASUA or other campus organizations can fill out a short form requesting more information be mailed to them. About 250 students have already requested information, she said.

In the Leadership Outreach Office, in ASUA's offices above the bookstore, students can look through folders of alphabetized information about programs and services which fall under various divisions of ASUA, Fink said. "If they find a program they are interested in, I either place them into the program or get them in touch with the program's director," she said.

Fink said many students also request information about clubs. "We hope to have an updated list of all the recognized clubs with president's names and phone numbers in the next few weeks," she said. "If someone here in the office is familiar with a club we can give people information about what the club does, when it meets and if they can just join or have to apply."

Fink said Leadership Outreach members are currently organizing the addresses of students who requested information and plan to mail the information this week.

ASUA's Vice President of Clubs and Organizations, Josh Becker, said ASUA is also planning other programs to help campus clubs raise funds, recruit and perform community service.

In about a month, a fundraising book will be available which suggests "creative ways to fundraise in the Tucson area," Becker said.

Also, a club recruitment week is planned for Oct. 1-4 and all campus organizations will be invited to set up tables on the Mall, Becker said.

In the spring, Becker said he is planning a mass philanthropy "spring cleaning" day when many UA students volunteer at various community organizations.

"Many people in the community, especially around Spring Fling time, think UA students are just a bunch of young people who cause trouble," he said. "This would be a good opportunity to improve our image concerning this myth and also give back to the commu- nity we live in."

Becker said he is also making preliminary plans to offer a contest which would encourage organizations to plan creative programs. The winning club would be provided with money to cover the event.

Each year, ASUA also offers club funding, which is available to any club or organization officially recognized by the Department of Student Programs, Becker said. A prospective club must complete a form, detailing club purpose and officer names, in order to gain official recognition.

This year, $60,800 will be available to divide between about 250 clubs, he said.

Last year, $45,000 was designated for club funding, Becker said. About 205 clubs were funded last year and the average amount was $112, he said.

Funding is divided into Fast Copy, advertising, bookstore and postage, he said.

Each club's allocation is determined by what activities they have planned for the year and how the activities will affect the university as a whole, Becker said. To determine this, club representatives will be interviewed by Appropriations Board members and members of the Senate and GPSC September 27-30.

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