STAFF EDITORIAL
College students are notorious money spenders. We can burn a hole in our pocket faster than you can say “Student Government Association.” It has been shown that the college population has one of the highest percentages of discretionary income in the country. For those who have not taken economics, that means we have more money to spend on fun things than necessities, to the great glee of corporate America.
However, despite all the evidence that college kids are big spenders, one powerful group on campus is going against the grain. SGA seems to be above the normal college tendencies, seeing how it has failed to use even half of this semester’s budget. With only about four weeks left in the semester, what is going to become of the extra funds?
The Graphic ran an article last week detailing SGA’s spending this semester. As a recap, the senior class is the only class to come close to spending its budget, while the freshman class has spent a whopping zero dollars. No wonder we have not seen freshmen showing up to class in the traditional freshman scrubs.
Junior class president, Brendan Groves, said his class is in the process of buying shirts that may not even cost the $3,240.78 they have left in their budget. What else will they use the money on? Even SGA’s E-board has encouraged the classes to spend more money, which begs the question, “What are they waiting for?”
If the classes don’t spend the rest of the money this semester, the funds will do a “Cingular” and roll over to next semester, or they will be put in the reserve. This may sound good, but we want our money’s worth this semester.
This is not a call to start spending money frivolously. This is a call to start spending the money, provided by the students, for the students’ benefit. One area that definitely could use the extra financial support is the Inter-Club Council.
There are nearly 50 student organizations in the ICC. At the Nov. 7 ICC meeting, 26 student organizations presented resolutions asking for money from ICC funds. Some had to “friendly amend” their resolutions by cutting their requests, while others were denied money.
The ICC exists to bring the clubs on campus together and to create a “wonderful environment for the students here at Pepperdine,” according to the ICC Web site. However, it is difficult to do that without the appropriate monetary means. According to the Student Organizations Web site, “allocations of funds through the councils general fund shall be made available to all organizations represented, provided they abide by the stipulations outlined in the council’s constitutional by-laws.”
The lack of funds for campus clubs and the surplus of funds in the SGA’s budget leads to the conclusion that there may be a need to implement an idea learned in kindergarten: sharing.
SGA and the ICC are linked, as the SGA vice president presides over the council. To avoid a surplus of class funds, Student Organizations could allocate a larger percentage of the general fund to ICC; at least until broader sweeping constitutional changes occur.
If clubs have more money, they can sponsor more and better events open to all Pepperdine students. The class budgets are only used for the individual classes, but club events are campus-wide.
So please, SGA, start spending or start sharing because the buck does not stop here and the clock is ticking. If you need help, call one of the students you represent.
11-17-2005