The senior class council requested $27,500 to fund "Senior Week 2008." With a completely revamped set of activities and the support of alumni and College President R. Barbara Gitenstein, the senior class council hoped to bring back a dying tradition. The Student Finance Board (SFB) ultimately awarded $5,600 to the senior class council by a 9-4 vote, which was the amount granted for Senior Week last year.
"This is an entirely different Senior Week with new events and traditions. There is a possibility that if this Senior Week doesn't get off the ground, then it might die," Nicole Kasian, senior class council secretary, said, referring to last year's canceled Senior Week, as well as to the decreasing funds the event has received over the past five years.
"It will bring a sense of closure to seniors," Brad Henriksen, senior class council vice president, said. "This will help them be proud of the College."
Funding for the event would go to a fair, a Six Flags Great Adventure day trip, a campus carnival and food.
Kasian and Henriksen stressed that they weren't expecting full funding, but if it were granted to them they said it would be greatly appreciated. Without full funding, the ticket price for Senior Week will be $277.54. With full funding, it would have been lowered to $198.
"I wasn't going to go to Senior Week," David Adams, SFB senior representative, said. "But after seeing this presentation, I might go. It was maybe the best presentation all year."
"It creates school pride and is something to look forward to at the end of the year," Vivek Kanumuri, SFB sophomore representative, said.
However, the amount of support and fundraising for the event was a major sticking point with some SFB members. Henriksen cited the ticket price as one of the reasons seniors were not interested in attending. SFB ultimately awarded the same amount it gave for last year's Senior Week.
This event is scheduled to run from May 13 to May 15.
The Inter-Greek Council (IGC) requested $1,543.44 to attend the "Northeast Greek Leadership Association Conference." IGC wanted funding for six members to attend the conference, which they hoped would give them ideas to advance the fraternal system at the College. SFB unanimously awarded $250, citing a policy rule that only allows $50 each for a maximum of five people to attend a conference.
SFB unanimously awarded $250 to Lions' EMS, which requested $769.80 to attend the National Collegiate EMS Foundation Annual Conference. Lions' EMS wanted to attend the event to bring back information to help expand its operating capabilities at the College. SFB again cited its conference policy.
The Haitian Student Association (HSA) requested $737 for its lecture series "Beyond Being the Other." SFB awarded the group $667, subtracting $70 for "small thank-you gifts" for the speakers, who are professors at the College. It is against SFB policy to give funding for professors who work at the College.
HSA also started promoting the event before requesting any money from SFB, which is against SFB policy.
However, because HSA is a new club, it was granted some leniency.
"I still think it's a good event," Matthew McCann, SFB senior representative, said. "They're new so we should look past the technicalities."
