The Student Finance Board (SFB) heard nine separate requests on March 16 before it departed on its annual budget retreat last weekend. It allocated $9,587 to a coalition of organizations led by Union Latina (UL) to bring hip-hop duo Nina Sky to perform at the College's "Night at Kendall" variety program on April 8.
Craig Gross, SFB chairperson, cast the deciding vote in favor of funding to break a 6-5-1 tie.
UL's request was co-sponsored by the Asian American Association (AAA), Student Government Association (SGA), Indian Student Association (ISA) and African American Cultural Awareness Association (AACAA).
UL had previously requested funds to have Nina Sky perform on Feb. 4, the same night as the College formal. The board zero-funded that request 8-3-1 over concerns that the concert would not sell well because many students would be at the formal.
With the new date, UL argued that the event would be a success. It emphasized that the "Night at Kendall" program was more than just Nina Sky and would include a talent show where College performers can show off their talents.
Still, doubts lingered about the financial viability of the program. UL is banking on selling out Kendall Hall and generating $3,600 in ticket sales to defray costs, including 300 off-campus sales. Very few events manage to sell out Kendall Hall, and the failure of the College Union Board's Kevin Lyttle concert looms over what some argued are similar performers.
"What if they don't sell out?" Danielle Grinblat, junior accountant, said. "Who will eat the cost (of the concert)?"
"I think this is an entirely different event than Kevin Lyttle," Erica Klazmer, freshman representative, said. "I think it has great potential."
The board allocated $1,006 for the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) to attend a competition at the Rochester Institute of Technology to race its "mini-baja" car on a 14-1 vote. Anne Kraft, mini-baja manager, explained that five seniors from the department build and race the small vehicle for the senior project that is required to graduate.
The board was concerned that the engineering department expected SFB to pay for a project that was required for its majors. Gross explained that if students elect to create a mini-baja car for their senior project, participation in events like the Rochester competition is also required.
Gross also said, however, that when the College cuts funds, the money that departments had to help organizations like SAE attend events like the Rochester competition was cut first. Gross said that he'd be meeting with the administration to try to find ways to avoid these situations in the future.
"Departments are assisting to any capacity they can," Gross said.
The Signal received $455 of a $655 request to attend the Spring National College Media Convention and to pay its $200 membership in the New Jersey Press Association next year.
Matt Fair, managing editor, said that the conference would include keynote speakers, workshops and seminars and had been helpful in providing new ideas for the paper in previous years.
The paper is paying for its seven attendees' hotel rooms out of its advertising revenue, but asked the board to cover the $65 per person registration fee.
"I think The Signal should pay out of pocket like any other club," Julia Pratt, director of communications, said, suggesting that each attending student would have to pay part of the registration fee.
The board cut the request by adding a personal contribution of $30 per student.
The board zero-funded a request from Math Stat Club to hold a Math, Science and Technology night with members of the Teaching Math in Elementary Schools class to educate area students about math. The $203 request was defeated 10-3-1 amid concerns that the board was being asked to fund what was essentially a class project.
Other allocations included $648 of an $810 request from the Flying Lions Adventure Club to go paintballing March 19, which passed 10-3-2. Italian Club received $400 toward the cost of a bus to take members into New York City for a walking tour on a 14-0-1 vote.
The College Democrats received $150 toward a bus to attend the New Jersey College Democrats Convention at Rutgers University by a vote of 10-4 and Students Against Drunk Driving (SADD) received $333 to hand out keychains with the telephone numbers of local cab companies to discourage drunk driving by a vote of 12-2-1.
In the first allocation for next year, the Jewish Student Union (JSU) and PEANUTS were allocated $673 to help subsidize the cost of transportation and tickets to a performance of "Wicked" on Nov. 5 by a 12-3 vote.
