a student newspaper of the university of tulsa
october 21, 2013 issue 7 ~ volume 99
SA changes funding guidelines
New regulations require that funds be approved after events occur. They also move the funding application deadline and cap projected event attendance. Kimberly Poff Staff Writer
On Oct. 8, SA Senate passed new funding guidelines, effective immediately. The new guidelines change some of the ways which students apply for funding and SA awards it to them. These changes came on the heels of an unexpected influx of event sponsorship applications last year. “There wasn’t really a budget crunch,” said SA Treasurer Ben Chong. SA funds had to be reallocated to cover the depleted event sponsorship budget. The first change involves timing for awarding funding. Under the earlier rules, students applied for and received funding prior to their event based on cost and attendance estimates. This minimized risk to event planners who have to pay out of pocket for food and other items and then be reimbursed
through the business office. Now students will only receive funding after the event has occurred. Organizations have been known to overestimate the amount of money they need for an event. Doing so allows them to make sure they can cover all of their expenses. Unfortunately, the money they do not use stagnates in their accounts for the rest of the year. While generally this amounts only to $10 or $20 per event, with several hundred events a year, the cumulative surplus can total in the thousands. The new rules make sure SA reimburses exactly what was spent. The second change requires organizers to submit an application the day before the event. Previously rules permitted applications to be submitted on the day of the event. This allows FAC, the committee which handles allocations, to alert orgs to problems with their applications before the day of the event. Most organizations submit their bills several days in advance so details can be ironed out before money is spent.
The third change caps attendance at 250 students per event unless proof of more attendees can be provided. This prevents organizations from inflating projected attendance figures to get disproportionate funding for their events. The final change which applies to event sponsorship is one regarding events which charge admission. These events must donate 100 percent of proceeds to charity, and they are now required to have a letter from the charity stating the receipt of the donation by the end of the fiscal year. The other two changes of note involve travel funding. This funding was previously divided into “conference” and “non-conference” travel. The primary difference between the two was whether the trip was open to all students. Several cases of “non-conference” funding have occurred which were not open to all students in the strictest sense—club sports competitions for instance— but which were deemed good use of SA funds. As such, the categories have been revised to “open” and “closed” travel. Additionally travel applications must be submitted ten days in advance.
UP TO EIGHT WEEKS BEFORE THE EVENT Submit an application requesting SA Funding
Event’s bill goes before Financial Allocations Committee
DAY OF THE EVENT Buy supplies for your event
AFTER THE EVENT Bill is presented to the Senate where organization is approved to receive all, none or any portion of requested funding. Graphic by Jill Graves
The above graph shows the steps that a student organization must go through to receive SA funding for an event under the new guidelines. The new guidelines prevent bills from being passed by the Senate before the event takes place. Applications must also be submitted the day before the event takes place.
TU Campus Club Watch Terpsichore, ballroom dancing and two-step serve different niches within the TU dancing scene; PERMIAS celebrates Indonesian culture; and fishing club and Academic Bowl provide unique competitive opportunities. Giselle Willis Steven Buchele Staff Writers
W
ith roughly two-hundred student organizations currently chartered by SA, TU’s clubs cover a wide array of goals, activities and interests. This week the Collegian will begin a new series profiling some of TU’s student organizations with an article profiling not one, not two, but six student organizations.
Terpsichore
Courtesy Terpsichore
Sophomore Harley Dixon participates in a master class in aerial silks, one of several hosted by Terpsichore. In addition to hosting master classes, Terpsichore organizes flash mobs and Wii Just Dance parties.
Reading Partners Reading can change a child’s life! Become a True Blue Neighbors Reading Partner at Kendall-Whittier Elementary, commit to 1 hour a week and a 45 minute training session and you can be the catalyst to launch a child’s education to a higher level. Make a Difference Day This is a national event to spotlight community service in your neighborhood. TU will be joining other Kendall-Whittier community partners to clean-up, plant flowers, stripe the parking lot. The date is October 26 from 1 P.M. – 4 P.M. Wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty and closed-toed shoes.
Terpsichore, the name of the Grecian muse of song and dance, is also the name of one of TU’s dance clubs. The club’s faculty advisor, Jessica Vokoun, said that Terpsichore was first conceived in 2009 after “several students had organized a dance concert,” and afterwards decided to formalize the event by creating a student club that could “host master classes with guest artists (local and national), as well
as provide opportunities to go see professional dance companies performing in Tulsa.” Besides these activities, Terpsichore also hosts social events like flash mobs and Wii Just Dance parties. According to club president Emily Ross, everyone is encouraged to join because “members range anywhere from very little dance experience to classically trained dancers.” Terpsichore will be holding a dance concert on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 of 2014 entitled “FLASH: Dance in the Digital Age.”
Ballroom Terpsichore isn’t the only dancing club around. TU’s Ballroom dance club actually originated in the early 2000s, according to member Kimberly Poff, but was only recently reactivated in 2012. She said that lessons were originally weekly, but that after the group stopped teaching swing/ latin dance, interest waned. Also, “(not) a lot of people showed up to the interest meeting,” said Poff, so the group has been fairly inactive. However, Poff maintained “people should join because ballroom promotes body awareness, grace and balance. It is also for beginners so everyone is welcome and it’s a great way to meet people.”
See Clubs page 4
Meals on Wheels The Meals on Wheels program provides well over one million meals to seniors who need them each day. Some programs serve meals at congregate locations like senior centers, some programs deliver meals directly to the homes of seniors whose mobility is limited. Volunteers are needed Monday – Friday, volunteer opportunities include site packer/helper, meal deliverers/drivers, site coordinators, office volunteers, van drivers, and many others.
For additional information on volunteer opportunities, contact Kathy Shelton in the True Blue Neighbor Volunteer Center at kathy-shelton@utulsa.edu or call 918-631-3535.