Mediterranean Student Club is now Union recognized

The Executive Board approved Union recognition for the Mediterranean Student Club, and the Art Club received Union funding on Thursday.

Founder of the Mediterranean Student Club Kenan Kocagil ’22 stood before the Board to make a case for Union recognition. He is hoping to get students together to share cultures and foods, and unify the student body through campus-wide activities. The club will also hold fundraising events and currently has 22 members, half second-year students and an even distribution over the rest of the classes. Members currently represent Italy, Spain, Croatia, Turkey, and several North African countries.

Kocagil wanted to focus on Mediterranean students when starting the club, but, now after establishing a presence on campus, is welcoming all students to learn about the Mediterranean cultures. He expects to grow the club through social media and word-of-mouth. The motion to approve the club as Union recognized passed unanimously. Multiple members of the Board expressed intent to join the club, and the motion to approve the club’s recognition passed unanimously.

The Art Club became Union-recognized in the spring of last year. After successful turnout at events, they requested a starter budget to help with running them. Mainly, they would like to provide a basic set of starter supplies so new students won’t have to purchase their own. This would include printer paper, standard drawing pencils, mechanical pencils, erasers, colored pencils, and pens. After receiving requests for painting events, the Art Club would also like to purchase water color paints, paint palettes, and paint brushes, all of which are reusable from event to event. They would also like origami paper and sculpting clay.

They said that there are many opportunities to learn new mediums through their diverse events, such as a still life setup or a yarn-based craft. They currently have approximately 30 active members, most of whom are freshmen. Members are considered active after attending two events in a semester, which are held from 2–4 pm on Saturdays. Director of the Mueller Center Steven Allard suggested the club get involved with the art therapy enrichment classes for stress relief. The Board approved the starter budget of $160 and established the Art Club as Union funded with a 17‒0‒0 vote.

Director of the Union Charlie Potts reported that President Shirley Ann Jackson will be taking a tour of the Union to look at the spaces he and the Executive Board have been creating and have visions for, in hopes for her to learn about their priorities and targets. Club Operations Committee Chairperson Vish Gopalakrishnan ’20, Business Operations Committee Chairperson Yaseen Mahmoud ’22 and Vice Chairperson Benjamin Volk ’19 have been working with Potts to explore options for the lower level of the Union, specifically the integration of the game room and Rathskeller. They would like support from “Jackson and beyond.”

During invitation to speak, Allard announced that there will be a Thanksgiving dinner served in the McNeil room from 11 am to 2 pm on Thanksgiving day. He said all are welcome to sign up through this form found on the Campus Recreation Instagram page.