With City College’s spring semester coming to an end, the Associated Student Government (ASG) decided to give a large chunk of their remaining budget to student-run clubs requesting compensation. 

During their meeting on Friday, May 2, the ASG provided a grand total of $5,855.40 between three clubs: the Astronomy Club, Biology Club and the Computer Science (CS) Club.

“We have a lot of money still left in our budget, just not necessarily in our club fund,” said Elizabeth Wilmer, the president of ASG. “It was a recommendation from our advisors and myself that we move some money from other categories into the clubs fund.”

In order to support the clubs’ financial needs, the board agreed to move $7,000 from the conferences budget to the club grants budget. 

The board typically uses the conference budget to send ASG representatives to conferences such as the Student Senate for California Community Colleges (SSCCC) and the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC).

Only one of ASG’s representatives went to a conference this semester, therefore a substantial amount of funding was left unused in the budget.

The first to present their request was the Astronomy Club, asking for $1,400 to cover expenses from a student camp trip.

“Sixty people signed up [for the trip], how many went? It’s still a mystery, more like 80 or 90,” said Jose Thomas, a member of the Astronomy Club. “We had more people in the mountains looking at telescopes than people that go to the ‘star parties’ here at the [Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History].”

The ASG accepted Thomas’ proposal, and unanimously agreed to allocate $1,400 to compensate the club’s expenses.

The Biology Club was next on the roster, providing an in-depth presentation on their activities throughout the 2023 to 2024 school year, including public outreach, camp trips, club day tabling and their own fundraising.

“I would’ve never had the opportunity to go to Big Sur if it weren’t for this club, it’s such a magical experience being up there with all these people [in the club],” Caroline Hatcher, the club’s treasurer said. “I want to thank [the ASG] so much for always providing us with these grants, it means a lot.”

All in all, the club requested $2,855.40 from the ASG to cover the expenses of their activities throughout the school year.

The majority of the board was content with supplying the club with the proposed sum, however, Vella Nam, the commissioner of clubs remarked that the club was absent for this semester’s Inter-Club Council (ICC) meetings, which is required for clubs to remain active in the eyes of the board.

“If we give them the full grant in this case, I don’t think it’s fair for other clubs who attended the ICC meeting,” Nam told the Biology Club’s representatives. “I think the activities you guys do are amazing, but I think you should think about that.”

After a vote of majority by the board, the Biology Club was given a total of $2,855.40, under the condition that they will be present at future ICC meetings.

“They’re very active and working really hard,” Elle Swing, the commissioner of marketing said in regards to the Biology Club. “We should commend everything they’ve done and give them the money that they clearly deserve.”

The final club grant was given to the CS Club, after they spent money out-of-pocket to create personalized yearbooks for their members.

The board agreed unanimously to supply the CS Club’s ventures with a sum of $1,600.

Following the club grants, the board voted on the club of the year, which was between the CS Club, the “Rising Scholars” Club and the American Sign Language (ASL) Club.

After substantial discussion about each of the clubs’ work throughout the school year, the CS Club won “club of the year” in a landslide, with nine out of 10 votes.

Tyler Stoaks, the CS Club president, was attending the meeting during the club’s victory as the room erupted into applause.

The next ASG meeting, the last meeting of spring semester, will take place on Friday, May 10 at 9 a.m. in the Campus Center, room 223.