With more than 850 registered student groups at UCLA and more forming all the time, Bruins have many opportunities to find an organization tailored to their interests.
Some of the recently formed groups, including Bruins for Obama and Bruins for McCain, showcase the diversity of student interests.
“New groups seem to grow a little bit every year,” said Terry Saunders, an adviser for student programming.
But she added that the sheer number of groups on campus sometimes creates instances of new groups forming that are too similar to pre-existing organizations.
“We try to have new groups contact groups that are similar. … There have been occasions when we say, “˜We have one or two of them already,’ but sometimes they state their differences,” Saunders said, adding that groups that cite specific distinctions are allowed to register separate organizations, even though the general interests may be the same.
But student leaders say groups that cater to a diverse student populace often have more longevity than those that do not.
The Association of Chinese Americans, which has been around for 25 years, often has between 400 and 600 members at a time, said Amy Sean, a fourth-year political science student and the group’s president.
“This year we have at least 450 people,” Sean said.
She said that though there are at least six other Chinese groups on campus, the Association of Chinese Americans is unique.
“A lot of people in our group are not specifically Chinese-American. … We have a diverse community,” Sean said.
She added that the group has a strong performance aspect, with teams that perform things such as martial arts and a lion dance.
“We’re very dynamic. … We have a traditional dance team and a modern hip-hop team,” Sean said.
But though there may be competition for membership among well-known groups, UCLA Director for Student Programming Berky Nelson said that forming a new student group on campus is pretty straightforward.
“All you need are three students or three people connected to campus. … You come in with your ID number, and you listen to a 30-minute lecture,” Nelson said.
The three founders for the organization are also expected to submit a statement of purpose, a constitution and bylaws, and must agree to a non-discrimination statement.
Nelson said groups are also required to re-register every year, with most groups registering in the fall.
“It takes about a week to register,” Nelson said.
He added that, though there is a registration for groups every quarter, students often want to form groups after the deadline has passed.
“For students who have ideas after the deadline … we try to accommodate them,” Nelson said.
Many student groups have been around for 30 or 40 years, he added.
“Some of the Greek-letter organizations go back to the 1920s,” Nelson said.
He added that new groups often come and go, such as groups that suddenly form for candidates in election years.
Curtis Whatley, a fourth-year political science student and founding member of Bruins for Obama, said the group will merge with Bruin Democrats in light of Obama’s recent victory.
Whatley said he believes Obama has secured the nomination, and it would be “pretty silly” to keep the organization around afterward.
Whatley added that Bruin Democrats will take over promoting Obama come the fall elections.
But another political group, Bruins for McCain, plans to be around longer.
“Our main purpose is to promote the presidency of McCain,” said Mark Stefanos, a fourth-year student in political science and cofounder of Bruins for McCain.
Stefanos said the group, which formed this quarter, will plan to promote McCain’s policies for the upcoming election.