Hey, everyone. Welcome back to the main mic.
My name is Harper and I'm joined with Ambream
and Tony of the Student Senate of Johnson County
Community College. They're here today to talk
about upcoming events in Johnson County or a
singular event per se. And honestly, I'll pass
it over to you to introduce yourself and what
you guys are here for. Perfect. Thank you so
much for having us today being as your guest.
My name is Ambreen and I am a current Johnson
County Community College student and I am also
serving as Student Senator here at Johnson County
Community College. My name is Tony and I'm the
Vice President of Student Senate this year. I'm
a non -traditional student, so I love it here.
I'm retired, but I think it's my privilege and
honor to be here. Yeah. Well, we actually had
Student Life Ambassador Soraya here last week,
and she did the introduction between us two to
get you guys on here to talk about your upcoming
events. We're so intrigued to just have more
student life and student senators here on the
podcast just to spread awareness for things going
on on campus which students should know about.
And so you have an upcoming event that you wanted
to talk about. Yes, so Soraya, yeah, so Soraya
actually told me about that She have done the
podcast and I was intrigued and I was like, oh
I didn't know about that that college is doing
the podcast things and she is actually also a
vice chair for the public relations that that's
a subcommittee of Student Senate. So she's a
vice chair and she's a chair and I am a vice
chair my bad and We actually do the social media
marketing for the Student Senate events and fundraising
and all of these kinds of things. So recently
we are here to talk about the JCCC gifts. It's
our donation program. And she was like, do you
want to talk about JCCC Gives on the podcast?
And I was like, yeah, that will be fun. I've
never had experience like that before. So, yeah,
I would go for it. And then I was like, Tony,
would you like to join me? And then he was like,
yeah, we should go for it. So, yeah, here we
are telling you about the JCCC Gives. Now I will
move over to Tony and then let him talk about
JCCC Gives. Actually, she twisted my arm. I was
hijacked. We wanted to share the information
on JCCC Gives because this is a really, really
worthwhile program. What it is, is the funds
that we raise for JCCC Gives goes towards staff.
faculty and students here during Christmas time
when they're having, you know, challenges financially,
may or may not have a good Christmas, but we
get to use the funding to give out gift to those
individuals and families. That's really great,
especially right now. time being. I won't get
into all that, but times are tough right now
and we do have a lot of resources at Johnson
County Community College that are I believe connected
to student gifts, correct? Yeah. Yes. I think
all the students and clubs, faculty, staff, everybody
is involved. So we do certain fundraising events
for JCCC Gifts. One that is coming up, we had
two that's already over, wish we had been here
to market. But the next one is called JCCC Gifts
Market. It's gonna be on November 19th from 10
o 'clock to one o 'clock. It's going to be at
the COM atrium. So there'll be different baked
goods, plants, jewelry, and things like that
that people can get for a donation. It is, again,
one of the biggest fundraising for JCCC gifts.
Yes, so in that event, the market event, you
like the staff members or is it anyone who can
do the tabling for that? Senate will be doing
the tabling. Okay, so Senate will be doing the
tabling but we also welcome other students to
bring anything like baked items or if they know
some crochet they can just like bring their stuff
or jewelry so I'm planning to bring some club
sandwiches yes and then all of those all of the
money that we will generate it the portion of
it will go to the donations to the JCCC gifts
and then we will make sure that be buying the
gift. We actually have a wish list for RGCC gifts
nominees. So, yeah. Sounds super fun and also
super helpful to people who need it. And for
students to be able to donate for and with you
guys, that's one hell of a way to connect people
and bring in students' gifts and have them apply
it to something that's beneficial towards other
people. Yeah. At one of our fundraising event
that was about two weeks ago at Chick -fil -A,
I just walked up to a random stranger who was
heading into Chick -fil -A to get his dinner.
And I approached him and I said, hey, I'm with
Johnson County Community College and we have
a donation program. charity program that we're
putting together. And I explained to him a little
bit about what JCC Gifts is. I said, would you
be willing to go in and just say you're with
the program? And he said, of course. And then
on his way out, after he got his food, he came
over and shook my hand and said, hey, thank you
for letting me know and be a part of that. So
there are a lot of kind people out there. And
it is a great program, especially when you don't,
you know, the people that are recipients, you
may see them around the campus. You just didn't
know that they had special, you know, needs and
they are actually being helped. So I think it
was just a very worthwhile program. I agree.
Having such community, especially in Johnson
County is one way to uplift all the spirits and
just connect people You did talk about the upcoming
gifts donations on the 19th You said is that
the last one of the semester of the year or do
you have another one after that? We that's the
last one of the semester gosh, yeah and the previous
the Chick -fil -A and the canes that we have
done, the proceedings of those also goes to the
JCCC Gives donations. Am I correct? Correct.
Yeah, so yeah, so first we do these little...
events. We host these kinds of events. We go
out and partner up with businesses and collect
donations from them. So the part of their proceedings
come to the donations and then we buy the stuff.
And there is a process of JCCC gifts where students
and faculty members can nominate the students.
or the families who are deserving or who are
in need. Let's say you know somebody, but they
are not really, you know, like on the surface,
no one is going to show that they are having
some financial trouble. troubles but you are
close to them and you know how hard their life
is going on so you can just anonymously go and
fill out the form. We have that nomination form
on get involved and you can go and sign up there
and then nominate that person if they are associated
with Johnson County Community College. or let's
say if it's their parents, like immediate family
members. So you can nominate them and then CSI
will go over all of those nominations and verify
if they belong to the Johnson County Community
College or not. And then afterwards they select
people from those nominations. So, yeah, this
is a whole process. CSI is involved and on CSI
side, they verify all of the students and on
student senate side, we do the marketing and
we do the fundraising events and all of these
things. Nice. That's such a process to go through.
But I mean, it's definitely needed and where
is it for it? And the key, Ambreen was sharing,
actually the key word is anonymous. because nobody
knows who is nominated. The only people that
knew are the people who are in charge at CSI.
And they make all the contacts. It is totally
anonymous. So I think it's safe to say that you
should be able to nominate in confidence people
that you know that are close. you know, that
have financial challenges during this time of
the season. And then explain to me the roles.
You talked about Student Senate and what they've
done for the school. But tell me more about you
guys. What do you bring to Senate, the Student
Senate? So Student Senate is basically a student
led Senate where I am currently serving as Senate,
then we also have leaders like president, vice
president, secretary, what else, God? Treasurer.
Treasurer and parliamentarian. Parliamentarian.
So we also... Within the Student Senate, we have
subcommittees. We have budget committee. We have
public relations committee. We have rules and
conduct committee. And what else? I'm missing
out the fourth one. I know. It's the fourth one.
Fundraising fundraising committee. So we are
we have four committees subcommittees so when
you are when you become a senator you are supposed
to Get involved in Into at least one of those
subcommittees So you have to attend their meetings
and you have to be actively involved so budget
and budget committee deals with budgeting let's
say you come up to us and then you say I would
like to host this event and I am thinking of
tabling and I need some funding for that so the
budget committee deals with these sorts of things
and then it comes to the fundraising that's Tony,
you do that, right? Right. So Tony is the chair
for the fundraising. So he makes sure that we
are doing the fundraising events and all of these
things. And then for the rules and conduct is
within the Senate. So they make sure that we
are following the rules and conduct. It's just
like. The way you you see in Senate they you
have to pluck your cards and when you have to
talk we have to follow some specific rules So
for the public relations, I am the vice chair
and Soraya is the chair for that. And we manage
our social media marketing department and we
make sure that we are making flyers and posters
and all of these things if it's a fundraising
event or if it's like events like that. So for,
I would say Student Senate is a, voice of students.
If there is any issues with students, they can
raise it in Student Senate and then we, as the
senators, can vote on their issues or if they
have to start off a new club or new organization.
So yeah, this is pretty much it. Nice. And then
Tony, she said you were a part of the fundraising.
Yes. Do you want to dive in more about that?
Since she you did talk about the marketing side
and how what's the rabbit hole of the fundraising
side? The fundraising is mainly to in the fall
semester, we run two events. One is Trick or
Treat for Kids, which is open to the public.
And we do the fundraising for the candies and
things like that. And then it's JCCC Gifts. Those
are the two major events that we do in Student
Senate. The committee for fundraising, actually
the whole name is service and fundraising committee.
So typically we do fundraising in the fall semester
and then services projects in the spring semester.
We are undergoing some... We're deliberating
some changes because there may be better ways
of doing things that will hopefully make the
fundraising a lot easier, just make it less stressful
for the fall semester. So we actually have a
lot of support. The foundation is supporting
us, so we're having a brainstorming session in
a couple of weeks with the director from the
JCCC Foundation, which it's great for us to have
access to that level of resource. And Student
Senate is a student organization that is probably
not very, people know about the clubs and everything.
But Student Senate, when I run for Senator, I
have to get like 50 signatures. When I go up
to them and I said, hey, I need to run for Senator,
do you know about the Student Senate? Most of
them would say, no, tell me more about it. So
I think this is great that you're giving us the
opportunity to kind of let students know about
this organization that's kind of in the background.
So this year, one of the things that Soraya,
who's the Public Relations Chair, wanted to do
is to get the Student Senate who we are out there
as much as possible so people can realize that
there is, the Student Senate is an organization
that's working in the background. do all the
funding requests for the clubs. And there are
many, many clubs. Not all of them are active,
but there are a hundred some clubs that are registered
with the college. And the college is very, they're
very generous in providing funding for a lot
of these clubs. Yes, and to add on to it, if
students are watching this, I would say please
join us. You will enjoy a lot more in here and
you would... you would realize how many things
we have been doing on campus. So I just joined
recently in spring semester, I'm sorry, I just
joined in fall semester. This is my first semester
serving as a student senator. So I would highly
recommend that all of the students who are watching
this podcast would definitely join Student Senate
and become the voice of their student. community
and also I would say that it is a great opportunity
it will look really good on your resume as well
and you will get to know more about college and
you will be amazed by that and you will see how
many things the college is doing and you will
be like oh I am in the great college so yeah
This is, I would just want to make sure that
they're listening. I'm talking to the students.
Yeah. And if there is anything else you guys
would like to say before we possibly wrap up
this part of the episode? Words of encouragement?
Oh, yes. From my part, I would, as I said, I
would highly recommend students to join Senate.
And also, please, please, during our market,
Event come by calm atrium and buy our goods whatever
we will be selling and the proceeds will go towards
the JCCC gives it will be a great Help for all
of those who are in need and we will really appreciate
that I also want to say that Recently I went
to a conference that has other colleges, all
their student governments came together. And
I realize how fortunate we are at JCCC because
of all the resources that we have. And student
life is so vibrant. They have so many activities.
The resources for career office, helping students
get the resume, get you know, find out where,
you know, what bring the bring the employers
in on campus. Not every college actually has
that level of resources dedicated to the students.
And I think. just want to realize how great this
you are I mean in this college how great everything
is and how much resources you have dedicated
to you. Yeah well thank you guys for being the
backbone of Johnson County Community College
and thank you guys so much for being on our podcast
and being able to explain to the students that
you guys are here and what you guys do for them
because I'm sure you guys may lack appreciation
because you don't have as much recognition If
that makes sense, not many people know about
Student Senate, so I hope this extends the gratitude
of all the students to you guys. And thank you
so much for having us and giving us the opportunity
to letting all of the students know that who
we are and what we're doing, and mainly we are
here for JCCC Gives. So again, we'd really appreciate
all of your donations and it will... It will
be really helpful for all of those who are in
need. Thank you so much and thank you guys. Thank
you, Hopper. Yeah. Well, we'll wrap up this and
we hope you guys have a good rest of your day.
Thank you guys so much for watching this part
of the podcast and see you next week. Bye bye.