The Student Finance Board (SFB) granted the College Union Board (CUB) a $41,496.80 bid for a comedy show featuring famous comedian Tracy Morgan.
"He's in '30 Rock,' won several Golden Globes and is one of the top choices for comedians according to students," CUB event coordinator Christina Chiarello said. "We believe Morgan will be a diverse artist to bring to campus."
Morgan's performance would be the second comedy show of the year, in addition to one featuring Demetri Martin in April.
"Could you ever get too much comedy?" CUB Finance Director Molly Motyka asked.
CUB is still looking into possible openers and assured SFB it would be a well known student opener to draw in a bigger crowd. Funds would cover talent and publicity fees.
The event was unanimously approved and is scheduled for April 21 in Kendall Hall.
Chabad, the College Jewish community, requested $3,914.00 for its annual Purim Masquerade to be held on Feb. 22 in the Business Building Lounge.
"I don't know why they need all the entertainment," Kaminsky said. The event features mask making, an Italian banquet, a strolling magic show, a comedy show and live music.
"It's an all-day event and it seems worthwhile," SFB Freshman Representative Warren Samlin said.
SFB granted the request with the stipulation that they can't donate funds from their gift baskets to charity. "You can't just take student's money and donate it to the church," Samlin said.
SFB unanimously approved the Math and Stat Club (MSC)'s request for $582.00 for "Calculus the Musical," featuring musical parodies of the concepts and history of calculus.
"It would bring to campus a more lighthearted approach (to math) with entertainment that's a lot of fun," MSC Treasurer Charmara Davis said.
Funds would cover travel costs for the musical parody group travelling from Pennsylvania.
SFB unanimously approved a request for $550 for Water Watch to attend Power Shift 2009, a national conference to take action for climate change at the federal level.
The money would cover transportation and hotel costs for 11 students attending.
SFB also awarded PRISM, the GLBTQ (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning) organization of the College, $487.87 for its fifth annual "Queer Wedding" event.
"We want to show the campus community, Ewing, and the Trenton area that we have a need for equality in the GLBTQ community," PRISM treasurer Elizabeth Ehret said. "A wedding for gay people is the same idea as for straight people."
According to PRISM, approximately 55 people attended the event last year. The club projected that even more would attend this year.
"I do really like the idea," SFB administrative director Garrett Hoffman said. "I think it goes really well with what the organization is trying to showcase as well."
Allocated funding will pay mostly for publicity, including special invitations and ceramic vases with details of the event. The event is scheduled for Feb. 26 in the Allen Drawing Room.
It also unanimously allocated $350 for "A Great Day," a trip to a wax museum of African American History sponsored by the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW).
"This year we are anticipating more people and new members who are interested in coming too," NCNW executive vice president Tiffany Reid said. "We want to fill the bus so its going to be open to the whole campus."
"People have done this in the past so opening up to the campus and other organizations will fill up the bus," SFB equipment director manager Alexa Kaminsky said.
SFB denied the Inter-Greek Council's (IGC) request for $660.32 to attend the Northeast Greek Leadership Association Conference, scheduled from Feb. 19 to 22 in Hartford, Conn.
"We thought it would be important to attend because we should get other ideas from outside campus as well," IGC secretary-elect Jeff Crane said.
The purpose of the conference would have been to advance student leadership of fraternities and sororities on campus by interacting with communities throughout the Northeast.
The Council requested $180 per person for registration costs for the six members attending.
"They don't need a conference," SFB Executive Assistant Ashley Karcher said. "They already network."
