By Nicholas Jimenez
The Administration of Justice Club at East Los Angeles College, was founded to provide students with real insights and experiences within criminal justice.
The insights that the students learn what the criminal justice is, why the people choose this path, and to give the students options. With the experiences, the clubs also have guest speakers so they can learn.
In the AJ Club, there are over 100 members. They are active at the main ELAC campus and the South Gate Educational Center. For the members, they enjoy field trips and guest speakers.
They go to places like the coroner’s office and other place that involves learning about the criminal justice system. The guest speakers are either police officers, firefighter, crime scene investigators, medical examiners, or others in the field of criminal justice.
The advisers of the AJ club are Wayne Posner, Janis Cavanaugh, and Mel Stevenson. They are professors who work at ELAC, in the Administration of Justice Department.They all are also, ex-police officers.
From the advisers to the guest speakers, they share their knowledge and experiences to the club to be prepare them the journey they might face. They learn from them on what it takes to be a police officer, what is require of them, and how to act. Next, they learn about crime scenes.
The speakers and advisers might talk about on how to work a crime scene and how to process the evidence.
This club has develop to focus on doing the community service, getting involve with charity work, and fundraising. For the community, AJ members meets to decide on how they can help.
On the holidays, the AJ teachers asked their students or not, to donate things to help others. They do this on behalf of the AJ club.
On Thanksgiving, the teachers ask others to donate food. Food for thanksgiving like pies, food cans, and if possible, turkeys. With the donate food, the AJ Club gives the food to the people.
As well on Christmas, the teachers have a toy drive and asks their students to donate unwrap toys. The AJ club’s toy drive goes to the underprivileged children.
At the main campus at ELAC, near the AJ buildings, AJ members set up tables to sale food. Once or twice a week, the members make food at the table, like people who cook on a grill.
It’s not all at the same time, they serve out hamburgers, hot dogs, tacos, and other types of food. Plus, on the side, they mostly sale out chips. Rarely, they also sale cupcakes and cookies. Mel Stevenson said, “The AJ Club has raised and awarded scholarships valued at $16,000 to $20,000 to help students due to the money that we make.”
The people who join the AJ club are like the next generation. It is also a good club to make friends and develop contracts with one and another.
Members of the AJ club are a group of students, to come together so they can learn from past, current generations, and even might learn from each other.