Some organizations expressed discontent over the amount of money they received in Student Government Association’s allocations and what they consider to be a burdensome process.
Only six organizations received the amount of SGA allocations they requested this semester. 43 organizations applied.
Tanya Hamilton, political science junior and president of Black Student Union, said BSU applied for $9,169 in allocations to pay for a five-day Unity Trip in which attendees will go to Chicago to learn about African-American history and do community service. They received $1,389.
“The money we asked for allocations was going towards the trip, so the students didn’t have to pay so much,” said Hamilton.
The trip, however, will be possible because of alumni, Hamilton said.
“The alumni have really come through,” Hamilton said.
Yet, BSU still had to raise the price of the trip and put a cap on the number of attendees, Hamilton said.
The Philosophy Club was another organization that did not receive their requested amount.
Rebekah Locke, English writing sophomore and Philosophy Club president, said the club planned on using allocations to fund a week-long event in partnership with Tulane’s philosophy club to bring the director, writer and cast of the film “Boondock Saints” to New Orleans.
The weeklong event would have included a lecture on the justice or ethics of killing.
But the Philosophy Club only received $2,009.90 out of the $12,009.90 they applied for.
Locke said she was denied because of “improper documentation,” as stated in SGA’s e-mail to the club.
“We can’t get the contract until we get the money and we can’t get the money until we get the contract,” Locke said.
Maria Rossi, English senior and SGA vice president, serves as the Philosophy Club’s vice president. Locke said Rossi encouraged her to ask for $10,000 or even more and SGA would probably pay for it.
“I was under the impression that was more possible,” Locke said.
Rossi said that she encourages all organizations to aim high when applying for allocations just in case SGA decides to fund more of their events.
According to SGA’s Budget Packet Funding Violations, allocations are denied because, “Documentation is missing or insufficient. No letter of intent from speaker or deejay provided. No price quotes on travel, hotel, equipment, etc. supplied.”
“I didn’t know what documentation I needed,” Locke said.
Rossi, however, said she told Locke which forms she needed to provide.
Locke said that since Philosophy Club did not receive enough allocations, the event couldn’t take place.
Like Philosophy Club, members of Jazz Club said they would not be able to hold programs because of the amount of money they were allocated.
Jazz Club received the most allocation money from SGA this year, receiving $8,370. The club asked, however, for $13,745. Jazz Club applied for post allocations for $4,475, but was denied, though no documentation was missing.
“A lot of other factors come into play beyond violations,” Rossi said.
The SGA allocations committee also considers how much organizations publicize events and how much of Loyola’s students can be involved in funded events, she said.
“It looks good for those organizations who look for outside funding,” Rossi said.
She said SGA is encouraged to fund programs if an organization is working to find outside sources of funding, because this means it is not using SGA as its last or only resort.
Dan Wallace, jazz studies junior and Jazz Club president, said some SGA senators guaranteed the funds to the organization before allocations.
“We received $13,000 last year, and since we have a lot more students than ever in the past, I didn’t think it was that ridiculous,” Wallace said.
Sarah Cooper, marketing junior and SGA president, said that the Jazz Club had already received a considerable amount of SGA’s allocation money, all for music clinics.
“Of the $13,000 they were allocated last year, Jazz Club didn’t do much advertising,” Cooper said.
Wallace said that he had already booked the musicians coming to give the clinics. They had already made travel plans, he said. The musicians had to cancel their travel plans and completely change their tours because of allocation results.
Jazz Club requested an appeal to receive the money, which was presented at SGA’s senate meeting last Thursday, Feb. 18. Meetings are normally held on Tuesdays, but it was changed because of Mardi Gras break.
The senators placed the proposed resolution ‘on the table’ until a club representative was present to defend their case. The senate moved on to another case, but after a small side discussion with Cooper, Garrett Fontenot, history junior and SGA senator at large, asked to bring the Jazz Club proposal back to discussion.
Cooper said Jazz Club should have had a representative present.
“I didn’t know the meeting was on Thursday,” Wallace said.
Members of some organizations expressed confusion with the process.
“I wish the allocations process was easier,” Locke said. “It seemed a lot harder than it should have been.”
Rossi said that she, SGA Director of Finance and business management sophomore Brian Gibbons, and College of Business senator and finance senior Jonathon Rowan will be overhauling the entire allocations process at the end of this semester.
“If this was more user friendly for us and the people who have to fill them out, there would be less mistakes. Less confusing if anything at all,” Gibbons said.
Ashley Stevens can be reached at
