SGA allots over $120,000 to college activities
By the Editorial Staff
The Student Government Association has allotted more than $120,000 to 17 campus organizations, athletics and the cultural series.
The total allocation of $123,014 for this year is an increase of $1,450 over last year's budget.
Cory Tomasson, SGA advisor and student activities coordinator, said, "We were again conservative this year considering the drop in enrollment."
The funding is related to enrollment because it comes from a $2.25 per credit hour standard fee paid by students.
Six organizations received a slight increase over the previous year. Allocations were the same for most groups, athletics, and the cultural series. The coordinator's stipend, also paid from this fund, also stayed the same.
The largest amount, $56,414, goes to athletics. Campus organizations that receive the most funding are the student newspaper, $10,000; the SGA $9,000; and the Student Nurses Association, $6,000.
In the spring, organizations submitted budget requests listing their activities and projects.
Ben Hartenbower, SGA president, said, "The amount of money distributed reflects the involvement of the organization."
SGA trustee Lisa Twardowski agreed.
"I think it (funding) is pretty well distributed," she said. "Over the past summer when we made this (budget), we took into consideration what they said they did do and what they would do."
Kelly Whightsil, president of Students in Free Enterprise, is one person who feels her group deserved more funding.
"We deal with businesses in the community and we do community work especially with teenagers," she said. "We don't have the money to do a lot. We depend on donations. We could do more as a group if we had more money."
SIFE received $2,000, a $500 increase over last year, but the group had requested $3,000.
Funding increases requested by campus groups for this year totaled over $25,000.