Amid one-liners, laughter, and oft-repeated points of order, Student Federation approved funding requests totalling $2,400 and the official status of two new clubs last week.
The amount approved at the Oct. 29 meeting equals 4 percent of the budget that remained after the previous meeting: $54,448.99. This sum will fund four inclusive events: cover costs for a big band, lodging expenses for a conference at Notre Dame, supplies for a fundraiser breakfast, and food and supplies for a social math event.
“We’re actually happy to spend this money for the benefit of the student body at large, because this is the students’ money that we’ve been given with the sole purpose of giving it back,” junior Jacob Thackston, treasurer of the Student Fed, said in an email.
The federation granted official status to Republic’s Finest Hour, a club dedicated to discussing methods of preserving the republican government and the Music Entrepreneurship Club, a group that aims to educate musicians on the professional music world.
Four club members, including president junior Keith Vrotsos, represented Republic’s Finest Hour at the meeting.
“We discuss things pertaining to leadership, and we focus on the preservation of our republican government,” Vrotsos said. In order to advertise campus-wide events with the school email, the club needed official status, Vrotsos said.
Expeditious approval of Republic’s Finest Hour followed Vrotsos’ comment that the club would not need to seek funding from Student Fed because the Winston Churchill impersonator who visited Hillsdale in April, Randy Otto, sponsored the club.
The president of the Music Entrepreneurship Club, sophomore Nathan Steinmeyer, said the club will fill the need for a music business major through monthly speakers and events, equipping musicians for the music industry.
“The general idea is to provide a way for students who are interested in music business to come and learn more about it,” Steinmeyer said.
The Hepcats Swing Club asked for $1,250 to foot half the bill for a nine-piece big band to play at its February big band event. Friends of the college donated the other half. Last year, the donors provided the full amount for the January event, and more than 100 people attended.
Junior Taylor Kemmeter, officer of events for the swing dance club, promised to pay back the federation extra money made from ticket sales.
“I don’t want to take more than we need,” Kemmeter said.
The finance committee originally suggested $750, which would mean the club would have to rely on alternative resources, but granted the full amount after hearing Kemmeter’s promise.
“I believe the expectation that they will return what they make over is more than fine. This will enable them to pay for the event up front,” said senior Sam Holdeman, independent representative and finance committee member.
Sophomore Noah Weinrich — treasurer of the Symposium, Hillsdale’s Intercollegiate Studies Institute society — proposed $600 to cover 50 percent of lodging costs at the Holiday Inn to encourage students to attend Notre Dame’s Center for Ethics and Culture Fall Conference from Nov 19-21. Following Student Fed’s approval, the first 20 students will only pay $30, plus travel expenses, to hear speeches from premier philosophers and theologians.
The finance committee initially recommended no funding because it would not impact student life as a whole.
“I think we should take into account the opportunity that these 20 students would have,” junior Paul Mittermeier, Delta Tau Delta representative, said. “I don’t see necessarily that small sort of outreach is something that should bar us from funding that.”
A proposed compromise of $300, which would raise the individual conference cost by $45 per person, divided more than it united.
“I think it’s an arbitrary place for us to decide what is expensive and what is not. It just seems like this ‘eh’ kind of gesture that does very little for the Symposium,” junior Joe Spica, Sigma Chi representative, said. “There’s this dilemma of subsidizing nonessential costs for some students and not for others.”
The finance committee amended its recommendation to the original funds proposal, which Student Fed approved.
Members readily approved two other proposals due to a long finance committee meeting Oct. 26, according to senior Marie Wathen, president of Student Fed.
Junior Tom Novelly, treasurer of Students For Life, requested $400 to purchase pancake supplies for the club’s annual pancake fundraiser. The money raised subsidizes outside speakers and student transportation for the Jan. 22 March for Life event in Washington, D.C.
The price tag, $50 more than last year, was the first question from Ryan Jelalian, senior representative and finance committee member.
“Bacon,” Novelly said in response. “Everybody loves bacon. We ran out of bacon last year.”
After a four-minute questioning period over whether it is conscionable for a pro-life organization to serve bacon — a known cancer-causing agent — the Student Fed unanimously approved the funding.
Senior Michael Tripepi — president of Kappa Mu Epsilon, Hillsdale’s mathematics honorary — requested $150 for food and supplies for a social math event on Nov. 18. Students will solve chessboard-style math problems and discuss shapes. About 50 people attended the honorary’s first recreational math event, which focused on the folds in origami, held two years ago. The success rate contributed to the federation’s quick agreement to fund the initiative.
“Contrary to popular belief, the vast majority of Student Federation members want to spend this excess money that we have, but we feel as if we don’t often get well-crafted proposals to approve,” Thackston said. “Our spending, with the exception of capital improvements, is completely dependent on student proposals.”
