By Nicole Viviano
News Editor
The Student Finance Board funded its base budget and spring training retreats and three student organizations at its first meeting of the semester on Jan. 30.
Chabad, the student organization that provides educational Jewish programming for students and faculty, proposed its bar mitzvah event, which will take place on March 3 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the Education Building Room 212. The organization was fully funded $6,080 for food, entertainment and a sound technician.
“I think this will be an amazing way for us to share with the campus community the experience and significance of the traditional bar mitzvah, especially during Chabad at TCNJ's 13th year on campus (the year that a traditional bar mitzvah takes place),” said Erica Levin, a senior biology major and former president and current alumni relations chair for Chabad.
“I hope that this event allows our students to celebrate tradition, perspective and come together for something that is a staple in the Jewish culture,” Levin said.
The Unified Greek Council received a partial fund of $360 for its “Meet the Greeks” event, which is planned for March 7. The time and place for the event have yet to be announced, and the club said flyers will be posted next week with more information. Hosted once each semester, this event is intended as a welcome-back and an introduction to the multicultural Greek presence on the College’s campus.
“It gives TCNJ students a chance to expose themselves to our Greek organizations, learn the ins-and-outs of them, the cultural and historical backgrounds of our organizations, and to offer TCNJ students a fun night to hang out with our Greek organization,” said Jada Lampety, a senior public health major and vice president and current acting president of the UGC.
Senior history major and treasurer for UGC Nayomi Torres-Velez said that the event would help students experience inclusion and allow them to branch out of their comfort zone by meeting new friends.
Sigma Lambda Beta was fully funded $138 for its “Operation Beautiful” event, which is scheduled for Feb. 13 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Brower Student Center. Expenses will cover flowers, craft materials and note paper.
The event is meant to spread awareness to the student body of the nationwide depression epidemic. The organization hopes to show support and offer an open environment for those who are grieving over lost ones, battling mental illness or lacking a relationship especially so close to Valentine’s Day.
SFB voted fully to fund both of its upcoming semester retreats. The first retreat, which is scheduled for April 5, received $100. It will be held on campus in an effort to conserve funding. Its focus will be on approving student organizations’ base budget requests and will allow SFB to review and revise its constitution if necessary. The second, scheduled for April 12 for $1,400, is the spring training retreat for new executive board members and a time for SFB to plan dates and deadlines for the upcoming academic year.
