SA accepts two new members to Club Approval Committee

By Serena Brandler     10/28/14 4:40pm

The Student Association recently accepted two new members to the Club Approval Committee.  According to Parliamentarian Zach Birenbaum, Hanszen College freshman Austin Cao and Hanszen junior Mathew Derichsweiler have already approved several clubs.

The Club Approval Committee acts as a branch inside the SA to allow for the formation of new clubs. The contents of the constitutions must include mission and purpose statements that clearly state how the club will function within Rice.

“Any club that wants to be legitimate has to submit a constitution to the SA for review,” Cao said. The goal is to make sure that clubs have a plan and that they don’t overlap with each other.”

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The Committee of Club Approval follows a certain procedure during their weekly meetings to decide on the approval or deferral of clubs.

“Every meeting we have five to ten constitutions to address,” Cao said. “We read them, discuss them, and take a vote.”

Whether or not the clubs under review are legitimized and find a home within Rice University heavily depends on how the organizations in question will ultimately benefit the student body. Some of the clubs that have passed through the committee are “League of Legends,” “Hip Hop Club” and “Grassroots Islam” among the many.

“We ask the question of whether [the club] will be good for the Rice and Houston community as a whole,” Birenbaum, a Hanszen college sophomore said.

Cao said he was excited to be a part of an organization that allows clubs to grow and prosper.

“It’s cool to see people taking initiative,” Cao said. “I’m glad to be a part of that process.”

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