Club rush was scheduled to be on the grass in front of the Multidisciplinary and Fine Arts Building on March 5 and 6. There were no set ups, no clubs and no club rush event in the area.
Club rush is an event where clubs come together and advertise themselves to the campus. Clubs recruit more members, and students become aware of which clubs are active on campus.
No one from the student government turned in the facilities request to hold the eventon time, and none of the clubs turned in the facilities request for tables. The lawn of the Multidisciplinary and Fine Arts Building is also not considered a facility.
Paperwork was not the only issue contributing to the lack of club rush. The Associated Student Government recently appointed a new director of activities.
“The club rush facility request was sent Friday, March 1 but there was not enough time for it to be approved. It is the duty of the director of activities to submit the facility requests for events. However, that position was filled the Wednesday before,” said Michael Casas, 43, political science major and ASG president.
Three clubs set up tables, albeit in different locations. The Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science and Health Club and Science Club advertised in the rotunda of the science complex. The United World Student Association set up in the student center alongside those who ran the National Foreign Language Week event.
The UWSA planned ahead of time to work alongside those hosting World Language Week, which promoted foreign language awareness.
Having filled out the paperwork with Elizabeth Eckford, interim director of student life and ASG adviser, the UWSA was able to sit in the Student Center.
“We set up with World Language Week, because we were supposed to help (the hosts).Since the posters were approved, we were just giving out the pamphlets,”said AbibatOshiobugie, 18, microbiology major and president of UWSA. “I actually spoke with (Eckford), and she helped me get the facilities request.”
Other clubs expecting the lawn to have tables were surprised by the lack of a setup.
“We were running around like chickens with our heads cut off,” said Aaqilah Brown, 20, neurobiology major and vice president of Health and Science Club.“We kind of just took matters into our own hands.”
The SACNAS Club and the Health and Science Club came up with an alternative solution.
“I have a good working relationship with (Professor)Leandra Martin, who is the dean of math and sciences. I knocked on her office and told her the situation,” said Jeff Campbell, 34, environmental engineering major and SACNAS’s activities coordinator. “We were already prepared to do this and asked permission to set up in the lobby of the science building. (Professor Martin) facilitated us two tables and gave us permission to do it.”
Minimal advertisement for the event occurred. Word-of-mouth helped, but with the lawn not having a setup, no clubs could participate in the designated area. The date changed to March 18 from 10a.m. to 5p.m., Casas said.
“We’ve normally had club rush by the Student Center. With the (Multidisciplinary and Fine Arts Building) being up, (the ASG) wanted to have it in a different location,” Eckford said. “Communication lines were crossed. Club rush wasn’t canceled. It’s just been postponed.”
