By Jordan Morris
Assistant News Editor
The opening weeks of a semester are always critical for student clubs, as they must adjust to new challenges on a variety of levels.
Adjustment may prove more difficult for some clubs than others, especially for the Sports Club Council, a rookie among Inter-Club Council groups. Comprised of representatives from 16 club sports, including golf, lacrosse, rugby and women’s water polo, it represents a total of 336 students, according to Director of Intramurals Matt Kalish.
The dilemma?
“It would be nice to have enough funds to cover a program with such a large interest,” said freshman Kristen Ow, the SCC representative for the new ski and snowboarding club.
Out of the $20,000 the Student Government Association allots to the ICC through its constitution, the SCC receives $5,000 to split among the 16 club teams. The combined requests from the SCC this spring totaled more than $40,000.
At the SCC budget meeting Monday, club representatives left discouraged with approximately 12 percent of the requested amount.
“We’ll have to find sponsors and fundraise more,” Ow said. “We’ll be OK though.”
Only 10 of the 16 club teams were included in the SCC budget. Among those left off the list was the equestrian team, headed by junior Steve Williams.
“We were never notified of the other meetings this semester,” he said, referring to SCC meetings on Jan. 15 and 22. “For that, we weren’t given any funds.”
The other five clubs not receiving money – the outdoor club, sailing club, women’s field hockey club, ice hockey club and men’s soccer club – either didn’t meet the requirements or didn’t need funding.
Kalish, who led the Monday meeting, asked representatives to vote between three proposed budgets, one of which awarded an equal amount of money to each club, Williams said. They voted for the unequal, need-based option by majority vote.
Ow said Kalish handled the meeting appropriately.
“It would be nice to have more money to give to clubs, but we understand that we have to share, and we do,” Kalish said.
Since the initiation of the SCC, Kalish has spoken publicly about approaching SGA for more money.
“It’s not unusual for clubs to request money from the remaining balance of the SGA general fund,” SGA Treasurer Amie Shaw said.
She added that any other direct financial request of SGA by an organization within ICC would be against the SGA constitution.
SGA Vice President Giuseppe Nespoli said he met with Kalish Wednesday, but SGA is not considering altering the amount of money it gives to the ICC, which distributes money based on scheduled events.
The SCC, by contrast, allots money based on each club’s individual need, which includes equipment, barbecues and equipment.
“Just like all clubs, we have different needs,” Kalish said. “But we’re not getting a representative amount (of money).”
Despite financial frustrations, Kalish said SCC does have other priorities.
“Our main goal is to provide the opportunity for sports clubs to come together as a group … and discuss similar issues and interests,” he said.
He added that the SCC has been a constant learning experience.
“Clubs are learning to meet deadlines and follow procedures, which is necessary to receive funding,” Kalish said, referring to the equestrian team’s exclusion from the budget.
Kalish expressed the importance of the SCC on a higher level.
“These club teams represent Pepperdine all the way to the East Coast,” he said.
And despite the need for increased sponsorship and fundraising, SCC serves as common ground for these clubs with common interests.
January 30, 2003