Twenty-three student organizations attended the Campus Collaborative Luncheon on Saturday, March 1, that was sponsored by the AUSA Senate in order to bring about awareness of the many different groups on campus.

The AUSA Constitution requires the Senate to have a CCL at least once a quarter.

This quarter’s event included a speaker, lunch and break-out sessions in which members of different groups combined to come up with ideas for major events on campus, like Winter Carnival.

At the beginning, each student in the room was given a copy of the Campus Collaborative Luncheon Procedure Manual Workbook.

Created by On Campus Senator Josh Johnson, the book includes contact information for the Senate, the Senate’s goals, how to license a student organization, contact information for the funded and non-funded student organizations on campus, the Student Organizations Committee Constitution and a sample constitution.

Other inclusions were the AUSA Finance Committee Allocation By-Laws and Standards for 2002-2003, Board of Contingency Procedures, including Board of Contingency Funding Application, and Diversity Funding Application.

Melanie Fahrenbruch, director of Conference Meeting and Event Services, recently from Oregon State University spoke of leadership and a few of the larger issues leaders have to keep in mind.

“The best meeting is one that’s inclusive,” she said. “It’s about creating a body where people can find ownership. Your members are your customers. The bottom line is that planning happens in meetings.”

After lunch, break-out sessions began where the students split up into four groups.

In the first session Junior Senator Erik Johnson and Senior Senator Laura Szynskie gave a roll of masking tape and a pack of balloons to each group. Groups were then given a minute and a half to build the biggest tower of balloons with their material.

At the end of the allotted time, Johnson revealed that the groups had the option of combining their efforts. Groups were given a second chance, during which two groups combined their efforts and members tried to organize themselves by planning.

During the second session, the four groups were asked to each come up with ideas for one event.

The Winter Carnival group had ideas like DU students living in the same area when they go up to the mountains, to lessen the noise, and there being options for people not interested in drinking.

The Athletics/Recreation group expressed the desire to change the mascot and increase the visibility of the athletes on campus. The Homecoming group wanted to make the dance less exclusive and the members wanted an unaffiliated bar and dinner with the dance.

An event that hasn’t been very well publicized is May Daze, which lasts one day in the spring. The May Day group suggested creating a field day atmosphere which would include a BBQ, a local celebrity, Dippin’ Dots, Capture The Flag and a wet t-shirt contest.

At the end, representatives of the student organizations and members of the Senate stood to introduce themselves.

The date of the CCL next quarter is yet to be announced.