The Committees of Student Council would like to respond to Isaac Wood’s article “Selfish spending” (Oct. 27), which portrays the Student Council Committees as irresponsible and unfocused on true student interests.
The 10 standing committees of Student Council are made up of a large, diverse group of non-elected students, so the notion that “a few dozen committee members” are using thousands of student dollars annually on “snacks” is patently false. Similar to many CIOs and student groups who also are funded by student fees, occasionally we will have food at our meetings, but to use committees as an example of selfish spending is rash and incomplete. Per capita, some of these “snack” budgets approximately come out to $3 a person for the year.
Moreover, the funding for food for Student Council committees comes from what is called “non-SAF funding” — funding obtained from grants or donations that Council receives outside of the Student Activity Fee.
As a former committee chair himself, Wood knows that Student Council committees represent student self-governance in action. We develop, plan and implement Student Council programs that reach the entire student body. Our committee members work hard to improve the overall student experience at the University. The committee budgets created earlier this year reflect the wants and needs of a variety of students. We are students working entirely for students and we question Wood’s assertions that our committees are “wasteful” or “unethical.”
Benjamin Chrisinger
On behalf of the committee
chairs of Student Council
ARCH III
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