News > March 25, 2004

By Stephanie Bennett

News Editor

The student activity fee allocation committee, established earlier this semester, has opened up the application process for students and groups wishing to receive money for campus events.

The funds will come from the second $50 per-student fee of the student activities fee not earmarked for a student recreation center.

To maximize the distribution of the funds, the committee will be accepting applications on a rolling basis throughout the academic year.

The maximum amount that one can receive is $5,000, though the committee chair can authorize more funds in special cases.

A budget for the event must be submitted with the application. Applications are available through Mary Gerardy, the associate vice president for student life.

Anyone can submit an application for funding, but they must meet several important criterion.

The first conditions set by the guidelines is that, though “lectures and cultural activities are important components of a vital campus community,” such events “exist in abundance at Wake Forest” and not considered for funding.

Among others are: the event must be receive funding approval before it occurs; it must either enhance an existing campus tradition or have the potential to develop into a new tradition; it must either unite the campus or have campus-wide appeal; it must be open to all students; preferably, it will involve collaboration between several groups; and events held on Friday or Saturday night will be given priority.

However, any and all students are encouraged to submit their plans to the committee.

“Our goal is to help groups who get this money be successful in what they do,” Gerardy said. “But our other goal is to encourage groups to provide social options and enhance traditions.”

Gerardy hopes that students and student organizations will take the initiative to make good use of these funds.

“We’ll be very careful about how we spend the money, but we don’t want any left on the table,” Gerardy said. “That’s not in the students’ best interest.”

Gerardy heads the committee, along with “two other staff members from the programming unit of the division of student life” as directed by the guidelines.

Mike Ford, the director of student development, and Kathy Arnett, the associate director of the Benson University Center, fill those spots.

Students serving on the committee include one Student Union representative, currently filled by sophomore Bryan Proven, and one Student Government representative, now sophomore Reggie Mathis.

The student trustee, a position currently held by senior Ashlee Miller, also has a vote.

The at-large student spots were intended to be only open to two students, but Gerardy said three capable students were invited to join the committee.

“We wanted to make sure that there were more students than administrations so that students would carry the vote,” she said.

Junior Doug Hutton, senior Victoria Gillen and sophomore Matt Gutschick fill those positions.

The Old Gold and Black editor in chief also has a non-voting seat on the committee through its first year, currently filled by junior Angel Hsu.