Organizations doing right deserve more
It’s no secret that the university has been tightening its budget. With that comes an increased importance for critical judgment when deciding where to allocate those funds. Consider: What is the organization doing for the University of South Carolina?
The USC Athletics Department — between coaches salaries and student athlete scholarships — has a sizable budget invested in it, and many would argue that this is for a good reason. These programs allow the school to showcase the great talents its students possess.
When determining which groups deserve a larger slice of the student organization budget, this effect should carry a large and similar amount of weight.
For instance, the USC Mock Trial program has demonstrated its talents time and time again, yet it still remains vastly underfunded. There is a trophy case in the Honors Residence Hall dedicated to their numerous achievements. Despite this, the team only received 12 percent of the funds they requested.
Meanwhile, other organizations have confessed to using hundreds of fund dollars merely for pizza parties or overly elaborate awards ceremonies. This is in addition to the questionable thousands spent by Carolina Productions to bring a handful of arguably washed-up and mediocre acts each year.
It is important now more than ever for our student government to comb through the spending with an overly scrupulous eye. Senators, Congressmen, Students, ask not what you can do for the student organization; ask what the student organization can do for you.