By Roseanne Ayala

Reporter

Joining a campus club is an excellent way to become involved with other students and to find a positive outlet from the rigors of school work.

However, finding a club one can relate to can be an issue.

As it turns out, any student can start a club and the process doesn’t have to be nerve-racking.

“You need at least five members that are enrolled in at least one class, and you need a faculty or staff advisor that is not auxiliary,” said Student Union and Greek Life Coordinator Maureen Fillmore.

There are important regulations to aware of in order to be part of a club, which is why there is an orientation.

“The president and treasurer have to attend the orientation. There [are] five parts to the orientation, and it takes about two hours,” said Student Organizations and RunnerSync Coordinator Edward Webb. “The first part is the rules and regulations that have to be followed by the club. The second part is safety and risk management, which covers food handling and insurance. The third part is the ASI part, how to get funding from ASI. The fourth part would be how to use 25 live to reserve places on campus and the fifth part would be RunnerSync, how to get you page set up on RunnerSync.”

The process of starting and running a club has been made easier and more convenient through RunnerSync.

“RunnerSync is our new online software. “We describe it as a cross between Facebook and LinkedIn. In RunnerSync you can register. You tell us about the club you want to start. You tell us who your officers are. All of the paperwork that we do is done online now,” said Fillmore.

Students who are members of a campus club can enjoy the benefits of networking that is both official and easy.

“Your portal acts like a Facebook because you can post information, you can promote events and track meeting attendance in there,” said Fillmore. “There is so much you can do through RunnerSync.

“It is so versatile and so we are really excited to have it. There is even an app for it.”

In addition to networking, CSUB has also facilitated club fundraising and financial accountability through club funds.

“The club fund is like your campus bank account,” said Fillmore. “Any clubs that do fund raising deposit the money in there and then when they buy stuff for their events they can pay for it out their account.

“The Chatfield authorization form is just saying who the signers are on that account, which are the president the treasurer and the advisor.”

Being part of a club can be a valuable experience for students.

Physics major senior Erik Ostlund has been in the Judo Club since his first year of college.

“You get to make a lot of friends. I’ve met a lot of long time friends through the judo club itself. There is a lot of comradery,” said Ostlund.