The Associated Students, Chico (AS) was formally incorporated March 16, 1942. There was some form of student governance at Chico State prior to this date, however functional governance, operations, oversight, and funding were formalized in 1942, when John Cowan, Associated Student Body President of Chico State College, filed Articles of Incorporation papers with the State of California. AS is currently one of the largest non-profit organizations in Northern California. AS functions as the student government, operates the student union facilities (recreation programs and services), and manages several student businesses. The enterprise owns and operates several student services on the Chico State campus including the campus bookstore, all vending machines, and food services. Throughout its history, AS has planned, organized, and funded student festivities, gatherings, and musical performances under several different operational names (Cultural Affairs, BMU Programming, AS Programming, AS Presents, AS Live, Big Cat Productions, Union Label) and is currently AS Productions. KCSC radio began broadcasting in 1951 on 590AM and 95.3FM; it currently operates on the world wide web as an internet radio station on KCSCradio.com. AS was responsible for producing and publishing several student newspapers and publications, between 1936 and 1978. In 1977, the student newspaper The Wildcat converted to an independent, private publication, The Chico News and Review. In 1961 AS opened a reprography center, later sold to the University. In 1966 the Community Action Volunteers in Education (CAVE) was established. In 1967 the construction for the Bell Memorial Union began. Named after former Dean of Students Hugh M. Bell, the building houses AS Government, Student Activities, food services, meeting rooms, bookstore, and several of the AS programs. Between 1974 and 1975 it became clear through an external audit that AS was on the verge of financial collapse. A 15% cut in all activity fee funded programs was one of the changes made to return the organization to financial health. In 1988 CSUC President Robin Wilson moved to seize control of the AS auxiliary businesses, AS leadership, led by the Board of Directors, was granted a temporary restraining order to block this move. Seeking to protect the state from liabilities associated with the operation of commercial services, the California State Legislature intervened with Assembly Bill 1643, and prevented the attempted takeover. Established in 1995, AS Environmental Affairs Council, was charged with facilitating and making policy recommendations concerning issues of sustainability, the environment, and social justice; The Environmental Action Resource Center (E-ARC) was also a student-run program initiated in the late 1990s, primarily a free library space with a collection of environmental books, that offered workshops and small scale environmental events. The EAC was renamed in 2006 to the Sustainability Affairs Council (SAC), and the efforts of the E-ARC were folded into the SAC mission. In 2009 the Wildcat Recreation Center (WREC) was established, offering a 130,000 square foot recreational fitness space, complete with a track, rock climbing gym and outdoor pool. The student bookstore was established in 1929, and in 2014, AS leased the Wildcat Store operations to Follett Corporation, one of the two major university bookstore lease operators in the United States.