By Roderick Macioch
News Assistant
During its weekly meeting on Wednesday, March 30, the Student Finance Board (SFB) granted funding for several events, many of which promote diversity at the College.
The first event proposed was Union Latina’s COPA Night, after its request was tabled in a previous meeting due to Union Latina’s failure to include price quotes in its proposal. As stated in Union Latina’s request, the event’s purpose is to “spread Latino awareness throughout the campus community by presenting traditional Latino music… via a live performing band. By incorporating a live Latin band throughout (the) event, attending students will be able to experience and appreciate the vivacity and infectious rhythm of Latino music.”
The board voted to fund the event in the amount of $4,489.42 to cover the cost of a photo booth, food and beverages, a disc jockey (DJ) and a Latin band.
The event will take place sometime on the evening of Tuesday, April 19, in the Decker Social Space.
French Club then requested funding for a bus trip to New York City. Students who attend will have the choice of visiting either the Metropolitan Museum of Art or the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. Afterward, the group will visit the French market, Le District. These experiences will “enable students to see and learn about French art and food in ways that they would not be able to do on campus,” according to the request form.
When the time came to vote, the requested $1,298.06 was granted, which will pay for the buses.
The all-day trip is scheduled for Saturday, April 16, and is open to all students.
The Hellenic Society then requested funding for its annual Greek Fest.
This event would “be a multicultural experience with the purpose of lifting the spirits of students during the stressful weeks leading up to the end of the semester,” according to the request form. Specifically, the event was planned to feature traditional Greek food, dances and music, according to the form. In all, the society requested $3,427.05.
However, since the society had advertised the event prior to receiving funding — a violation of board protocol — the board had no choice but to zero fund the request, in accordance with the SFB manual.
“Programs receiving SAF (Student Activity Fee) funding cannot be advertised prior to approval,” the manual states. “Any program publicized prior to approval that cannot occur without funding will not be funded.”
The Society for Creative Endeavors requested funding for its trip to the Sakura Matsuri Japanese Street Festival: the annual cherry blossom viewing festival held in the District of Columbia around mid-April, according to the request form.
This festival of Japanese culture is, according to the form, “a spectacular event that really is something difficult to truly experience outside of Japan. It is a great deal of fun in addition to teaching about all sorts of things about Japanese culture, from arts and crafts, to judo, taiko, kimonos, legends and more.”
The board voted to fully grant the society’s request in the amount of $3,718.
The all-day trip is scheduled to take place on Saturday, April 16. The trip is open to all students and requires a $5 deposit from attendees.
Chi Upsilon Sigma proposed “Paint Your Stress Away,” co-sponsored by the Unified Greek Council. The event will feature painter Louie Blaka, who will host a night of painting, “providing the audience with the tools necessary to create their own masterpiece. Students will be able to de-stress while creating their own piece of art,” according to the request form.
Full funding in the amount of $1,460 was granted to cover the costs of hors d’oeuvres and Blaka’s fee.
The event will take place on Tuesday, April 26, in the Art and Interactive Multimedia Building, at a currently unannounced time.
The Association of Students for Africa (ASFA) requested funding for its Akwaaba Celebration, co-sponsored by the Haitian Student Organization, the Black Student Union and Union Latina. Akwaaba, which translates to “welcome,” will include “a variety of African-inspired performances, food and music,” according to the request form. Additionally, “this event will showcase to the (College) community that AFSA has arrived and is fully operating to bring a taste of the African culture to the campus, (and) will foster the appreciation for diversity on this campus,” according to the form.
The board voted to grant ASFA’s request in the amount of $2,380 to cover the costs of the DJ and food. Requested funding for decorations and acrobats were tabled in hopes that lower prices will be reached for these components of the proposal.
The event is scheduled for Saturday, April 23, from 7 p.m. to 11:30 p.m in the Decker Social Space.
The final order of business was Lambda Theta Alpha’s “Self-Love 101,” co-sponsored by Union Latina and Women in Learning and Leadership. This workshop will be led by alumna Eliana Reyes (’08) and will give the College community a chance “to be more confident as they practice self-care,” according to the request form.
The board’s motion to fully fund the event was passed, and the requested $2,570 to cover refreshments and Reyes’s fee, was granted.
The event will be held on Thursday, April 14, at 8:30 p.m. in room 115 of the Education Building.
*Even though SFB agrees to finance certain events, there is no guarantee these events will take place. The approval only makes the funds available.
