Student Federation is back in session, searching for a way to spend $63,000 in discretionary funds.
The team of 20 students met for their first meeting of the school year last Thursday, Sept. 4. During the meeting, they approved a request from the A.A. Milne Society and chose Instructor of Philosophy Lee Cole as Professor of the Month. They also discussed their recently discovered budget surplus.
Last semester, they discovered a rollover budget that had been saved for many years. That, along with their discretionary funds from student fees total $63,000.
They have already begun to use some of that money to build an outdoor dining center. The fence currently outside the dining hall was built this summer, and Student Fed is hoping to buy patio furniture for that space soon.
They are also hoping to spend more money on philanthropy projects. They have a budget of $2,000 a semester to give away to community oriented projects, and have had very few requests for this money.
“We’re looking to do a lot more philanthropy projects this year, because we have that money set aside for projects,” Sophomore Independent Representative Jacob Thackston said. “So, hopefully, we’re going to get to advertise that more, and be able to give that money to not only benefit our students, but our community as a whole.”
This is just one of the ways that Student Fed is hoping to focus more on students this year.
“The biggest thing we’re trying to do this year is make sure that we’re rewarding student initiatives,” Senior Secretary Annie Teigen said.
“That’s why [Student Fed] is valuable too, because it is an avenue through which we can fund and support and grow different organizations, different ideas that really have the potential to edify, enlighten, and strengthen our students on campus,” Thackston said.
To help make things more accessible to students, the bi-weekly Student Fed meetings have moved from the Knorr room in the Grewcock Student Union to the Student Activities office. They encourage students to come with proposals for how money should be spent. There is also a suggestion box on the monitor’s desk in the union.
“We’re hoping to be more approachable this year, because we do want students to come to us if they need a new boat for the rowing team or whatever,” Teigen said. “We would love for you to come.”
