University of Virginia Library

Colloquium

Protecting Students' Money

By BILL HUYETT

(A fourth-year Engineering
Representative to the Student
Council, Mr. Huyett has been
associated with the
Organizations and Publications
Committee for two years.
–Ed.)

Mr. Wootton's article of Dec.
5 displayed a remarkable lack
of understanding in the
operation of the Student
Activities Fee. It reeked of
obvious error in both the
philosophy of the SAF and the
actual materials that the SAF
has funded.

First of all I would like to
clear the record on what has
and has not been funded. Mr.
Wootton said O&P had funded
Polo ponies, chess sets, leather
balls for Rugby and cold beer.
For as long as I have been
associated with the O&P
committee these articles
have not been funded. O&P has
turned down all refreshment
requests and never has funded
any articles that can be
construed to be personnel.

Most importantly I would
like to address the principles
that the SAF is based on. Mr.
Wootton would have an
amendment for each fundable
organization (which would
take countless hours of
bureaucratic time and would
have to be reconsidered every
other week) and would restrict
funding to "those
organizations which serve the
student body as a whole."

Then he includes only the
Student Government and
medias. How incredible that
Mr. Wootton should ignore the
service that the club sports
program, the musical groups,
speakers' organizations, and
service organizations
contribute to the student body
as a whole. Contrarv to what a
few like Mr. Wootton have been
expressing, there are many,
many student organizations
that serve the University as a
whole, and these vital student
activities would cease to exist
if the Student Activities Fund
was not available to them.

Mr. Wootton and others lack
what basic guidelines and
principles are needed to
protect the students' money.
Mr. Sabato and Mr. Gillespie
had that understanding and
through reform in several areas
have made the Student
Activities Fee more effective.

Such reforms are the
initiation of one third
non-student funding or club
sports, mandatory membership
financial commitment form
the clubs, and a renewed
interest in the size and
importance of organizations.
Mr. Larry Sabato has impressed
me with his competence and
understanding of the fund.

Mr. Wootton implied that
fraternities deserve funding if
the Gay Student Union does.
Again, Mr. Wootten, as Mr.
Hurd and Mr. White, lack the