College isn’t just about classes; it’s also about meeting people, learning new things and growing as a person. Student clubs help make this happen, but many aren’t given enough money to do everything they want or hold enough events to create stronger and more diverse connections amongst the student body. 

Clubs give students a chance to do what they love, like sports, culture or volunteering. But without enough money, clubs can’t organize big events, invite guest speakers or go on trips. With more funds, clubs could offer more fun activities and opportunities for students to enjoy.

 As a leader in two student clubs, I can say from personal experience that our limited budget significantly restricts our ability to host the events we envision and prevents us from reaching the requirement of hosting one event each month. For example, MSA received a budget of $500 for the semester, which is far from enough to achieve our goals. Just our first event cost us around $260. This event was really successful, we had around 60 people show up and we got to share about the club, its mission and introduce the leaders, but we can not organize nine more events like this one with the $500 budget. Our goal is to organize more events and invite more people to raise awareness about Islam, Arab culture, and most importantly Palestine. Unfortunately, with such a small budget, we’re unable to fully carry out these goals.

I have asked about all clubs receiving a higher budget, but got a response of just inviting people who associate with our club. In total there are about six muslim students on the Goshen College campus and around 100 that want to learn about Islam, and Arab culture. Are we supposed to use that $500 budget to make multiple events just for those six people who are already educated on Islam and Arab culture or use that money to hold two to three events for 100 people where what we can share is limited? 

With an increased budget, we would have the resources to organize a series of meaningful events that focus on raising awareness about Islam, Arab culture and the Palestinian cause. One of our primary goals is to create educational opportunities for the campus community through well-organized, informative sessions. These sessions would provide students with a deeper understanding of what Islam truly represents, drawing from trustworthy and academic sources rather than the often skewed portrayals seen in mainstream media. These sessions would also include foods from all the different middle eastern countries to give the students insight to Arab culture.

In addition to teaching about Islam, we would also use this budget to spotlight important cultural and geopolitical issues, including the Palestine-Israel conflict. By holding structured informational sessions, we could give students the necessary context and knowledge to understand this issue. These events would not only serve to inform but also to promote open dialogue, encouraging students to engage with these topics in a thoughtful, respectful manner. 

To sum up, student clubs are essential to improving the college experience because they let students connect with one another, learn about different cultures and take advantage of great chances for personal development. Nevertheless, many clubs find it difficult to meet their goals and involve everyone due to a lack of money. Putting money into student clubs ensures that the clubs are able to reach their goals and ensures that they are able to include everyone.

 

Feryal Albahal, known to most people as Elle, is a first-generation Yemeni-American, born and raised in New York. Currently, she is a sophomore majoring in biochemistry.