"It has always been in the best interest of any club to request funding as early as possible," said SFC entertainment sub-committee chair Andrew Sutton '03. "This is made explicit to all clubs at the beginning of the semester. As the semester wears on, funds are committed and the clubs that do not plan accordingly will be disappointed and thus, point fingers at the process and not at themselves."
SFC Chair Blake Sparrow said that requests are taken on a "first come, first serve basis" and that the SFC tries to distribute as much money as possible.
According to SFC Assistant Jorge Alves '02, the SFC's initial discretionary allocation was $54,627.60 for the semester, far more than the usual amount of approximately $30,000.
This semester, the SFC has approved 84 percent of the requested funds. This is the same percentage that it approved last spring. However, as of last night, the SFC has distributed 85 percent of its discretionary funds. At this time last year, they had spent 49 percent, according to Alves, who also explained that the discretionary funds have been distributed at such a fast pace this semester because "people have been requesting a lot more than they did at this same time last year."
Sparrow said that he is not concerned about the fast pace at which the discretionary funds have been allocated. "We always run out of money," said Sparrow. "It's not strange for the SFC to run out of money. If people come and ask us for money, it's our job to give it to them. Money is a finite resource."
Sparrow, who is also the president of the class of 2004, was recently given $3,000 to buy sweatpants for his classmates. Last semester, he used the funds allocated to class presidents to purchase key chains and bottle openers. Last spring, Jun Matsui '03, president of the class of 2003, asked the SFC for $249.65 to buy 300 t-shirts for her class. The SFC gave her the full amount she requested.
"Everything I have done for my class has been at the request of the class," said Sparrow. "I am just trying to meet the needs of my class. They asked me for this stuff and I gave it to them."
Some students think that SFC money spent on material items could be better allocated to benefit other organizations. "The money for this purchase is coming out of funding that could benefit other organizations more than our class," said Njoki Gitahi '04. "And with the way the SFC is allocating money these days, those organizations don't have a fair share. We can survive another six months without some class gimmick ... I'm pretty sure which class I belong to by now."
Last night, the SFC voted to give $400 dollars to Circus, which requested $1,525 to increase its circulation by 100. With the money it was given, Circus will only be able to distribute the magazine to the faculty and a small number of students, according to founder and editor-in-chief Marcella Frydman '03. "It surprises me that the SFC would conclude that Amherst doesn't need a semesterly review which fosters diverse types of writing," she said. "I find their drastic underfunding of Circus tremendously discouraging."
Sparrow responded to Frydman's concerns. "In no way has Circus been denied the ability to go to press; they are allowed to print as many copies as their total $3000 budget allows, which is up to 700, considering the luxurious standards they set for themselves," said Sparrow. He added that the SFC approved discretionary grants for another publication, the Amherst Review.
Brett Farson '03, who heads 3D-Difference for the Developmentally Disabled, said that while he appreciated the amount of funding he received from the SFC, the delay in funding made it difficult to pay for t-shirts the club had ordered. "I don't have a problem with them not giving me my full request in the original budget," said Farson, who received more money in the discretionary process. "But it is a fight for me to get more money for my community service program for special needs people."
Others appreciate Sparrow's contributions to his class. In a letter sent to The Student, Nicholas Echelbarger '04 said that "sweatpants, shot glasses, T-shirts, bottle openers, etc. [are] all stuff that's cool to have and promotes class unity … I just feel like he's done a great job and some positive reinforcement would benefit everyone in the community, as would a little focus on his example."
The SFC also recently gave Eric Osborne '04 $10,000 to fund a spring formal. Though much of the money will pay for the tent, which will be placed behind Alumni House, Osborne said that some of it will also pay for the formal's additional expenses including a band and decorations."
"I think that the tent itself is going to create a grand scope for the formal to be bigger and grander than anything in recent times," said Assistant Dean of Students Sam Haynes, who oversees the SFC. "The tent could be cheaper, smaller [but the effect would not be the same]… there are a number of things that could be done to reduce the size of the cost."
Osborne's request was approved 3-2 by the SFC sub-committee chairs. "It was two days worth of discussion," said Alves. "There was a lot of deliberation over this ... How much money was going into it, how many people were actually going to attend. This was the first time I saw [SFC chairs] disagree or argue."
"I think they've been fair about allocating thus far," Haynes said. "There is reason for them to slow the pace and project the future, yet I think they were fair in considering what's coming. This fast pace might result in us having no discretionary money left, which would be terrible. But I'm confident they'll come out with solutions … More money can be added to the discretionary fund from alternative funding sources."
Sparrow emphasized that he hasn't purchased the sweatpants yet. He is waiting to see a picture of them and then hopes to get feedback on them from his class. "Ultimately, it is up to the class," said Sparrow. "It's not my decision."