Three new clubs have been chartered on campus — the Photography Club, the Finer Things Club and the Improv Club.

These clubs are all beneficial to our community, yet, the Improv Club had a difficult time obtaining a student government charter.

The Improv Club founder was met with pushback from some student government members.

This seemed to be due to the fact that the Improv Club was potentially too similar to other clubs on campus, such as the Pitt Players.

While a suggestion was made that the two clubs should merge, it seemed clear that the Improv Club’s founder wanted to remain a separate organization.

We believe that the Improv Club’s members’ activity should be encouraged and accepted, not met with criticism and competition. This remains true for other clubs on campus, as long as club members are not infringing on anyone’s rights.

It troubles us that students who have taken the time to start a club were not encouraged to bring their creativity to campus in new ways.

Student government members should not discourage this type of participation, nor should they pressure the merger of two clubs.

We believe it is possible for these clubs to coexist, and it is even more important that there be no monopoly on who can and cannot be involved in performance arts.

It should not strain the student government members to approve a new club’s charter. The representation of all students should be the goal of the student government.

Ultimately, the Improv Club received a charter with the support of a majority student government vote. However, we suggest that student government members encourage and support organizations that increase student involvement in our community.