Student government’s budget spent on valuable causes
COMMENTARY
By Sebastian Moleski

About a week ago, a fellow columnist said that he can’t see where student government spends its money. Having been involved in SGA for more than a year, I felt it would be pertinent to clear some things up.

Here’s my attempt.

Yes, he is correct: SGA has an annual budget of roughly $260,000. So where does the money go, he asks? The $260,000 is split like this: $88,400 for the House of Student Representatives and $143,000 for Programming Council. The remainder is spent on administrative costs such as copiers, presentations to the Board of Trustees, retreats and salaries.

Why does Programming Council take so much more money? Well, PC is responsible for almost all big events you see on campus. Howdy Week? Yup, that’s us. Family Weekend, Homecoming? Yup, that, too. Those three events alone make up almost half of the total budget.

Add on top of that the tournament we are about to hold in December and all the concerts and the Block Party and the Dating Game and the free pre-video release movies we show. Add also the funds that go to other student organizations on campus for their own programs. This year, Programming Council is supporting AHO, ASA, Impact, Holocaust Memorial Week and lots more to come. Finally, add all the paper, markers and other supplies we offer for student organizations to use at no cost. Now, $143,000 doesn’t really seem to be all that much anymore.

So, then the House has $88,400 to spend. What does it do with it? Per Constitution, one quarter of that is to be spent on permanent improvements. Here’s where the assertion that SGA is not spending any money on visible improvements is really turning ridiculous. The furniture at the Recreation Center outside pool including all the chairs and tables was paid for from that fund. The computer lab in the Student Center reading room was paid for by that, too. So was the furniture in the mall area between Sadler and Reed Hall. This semester, the House paid for a wireless access point to be installed in that area so that anybody with a laptop could sit outside and go online.

Where does the rest of the money go? For one, to the Thanksgiving shuttle. On the days around Thanksgiving, SGA is offering a free bus shuttle between TCU and the DFW airport. If you want to find out more, stop by the Student Center Information Desk anytime. Also, if you have troubles with speeding tickets or your landlord, SGA pays for a professional lawyer to give free legal advice every Wednesday night. Another big chunk goes to support intramurals. Ever wondered why there’s such a wide variety of sports clubs at TCU? The House is part of the answer.

The list could go on, and if you are interested in finding out more, don’t hesitate to contact Chris Mattingly, our Treasurer, or me any time. None of this is secret information, and all of it is available to anyone who asks for it. So maybe now you see that the $260,000 SGA gets isn’t all wasted and actually goes towards a multitude of valuable projects that touch almost every student in one way or another.

Sebastian Moleski is a sophomore international economics major from Berlin, Germany.