Clubs can add culture to campus life. They can be a way for students to connect with other students outside the classroom. Clubs can unite students in a variety of different ways, from classes, to religion, sexuality, games, and more.
Pierce College has nearly 50 clubs on campus, which are listed on the website for the Associated Student Organization (ASO).
But some club officials believe that acquiring money to keep their clubs running is more difficult than it needs to be.
“It certainly is a problem. The school does nothing for us. They need to keep us appraised of how much we have,” said Noble Eisenlauer, adviser for the Anthropology Club.
The Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) and the administration of Pierce sets the rules and regulations for the student government and clubs, according to Curtis Smith, adviser for the ASO.
“It’s a lot of paperwork and a lot of money. It’s discouraging but I guess it’s necessary,” said Catherine Vileisis, co-president of the Psychology Club.
Every time a club wants money from the ASO, they have to fill out various forms. This can be a difficult task for students. They have to collect signatures and submit the forms to the ASO Office.
“It’s not very student friendly. It’s almost as if they were employees of the college,” said Gus Sandoval, president of the ASO.
The money clubs make from fundraising goes into accounts that were created for them by the business office at Pierce. Each club has its own account, according to Smith.
If a club wants to use its money, it must submit a request to the ASO. Wait times for a request to be approved can take up to seven days, according to Smith.
“It bothers me that we don’t have easy access to our own funds,” said Jacob Billings, president of the French Club.
Even though the money is tracked by the ASO and the LACCD, the clubs still have the ability to choose what they want to do with the money. Some clubs do fundraising, other clubs have different events, and some even offer scholarships from time to time, according to Smith.
“I believe that students can do more to be involved with fundraising and events,” said Lisa Martinez, a public policy major and co-president of the Sociology Club.
There is no word on whether or not the Pierce administration and the LACCD will change this process.
“I think the district can do more to lighten up on the students,” Eisenlauer said.
