Two student clubs have found themselves in a precarious corner of club life at Brandeis: each club's mission overlaps with the other's, something prohibited under Student Union bylaws.According to Article VIII Section 2 of the bylaws, no two chartered clubs can have the same purpose.

For this reason, Peers Educating Responsible Choices, a recognized group could not be chartered

Its constitution overlapped too closely with that of the Health Education Leadership Program, a general health education club.

Only chartered clubs are able to request funding from the Union's Finance Board.

HELP agreed to modify its constitution by removing drug and alcohol awareness from its responsibilities, so that PERC could be chartered.

According to PERC's constitution, the club "raise[s] awareness and knowledge about alcohol and other drug issues specifically impacting college students."

PERC leaders said they want to be chartered because F-board money would enable them to do more education on substance use and abuse.

The club's co-president Robert Geiman '08 said he's happy that HELP adjusted it's constitution and looks forward to the two groups collaborating.

Shreeya Sinha '09, senator-at-large and chair of the club support committee said even with an amended constitution, HELP will still be able to run drug and alcohol programming as long as their events specifically address the impact of substance abuse on students' physical and mental health.

Sinha said the groups can work together on future events on alcohol and drugs, split event costs, increase their membership together and combine their resources.

"You attract a larger crowd," Sinha said of the groups co-sponsoring events.

HELP co-President Desiree Koh '08, who is also a staff photographer for the Justice, said she was initially hesitant to change their constitution. She said she worried the change would "limit [their] programming abilities."

Koh said she was concerned it would set a bad precedent if a club had to change its constitution just to accommodate a new club.

But Koh said she now feels the change will have little impact.

"It shouldn't really change so much what we're doing right now because everything still comes under general health and wellness, which is still in our constitution," Koh said.

HELP plans to present its amended constitution soon to the Senate for final approval.

Once approved, PERC can approach the Senate and try to get chartered again.