By Jackie Delaney
Staff Writer
Musical and dance performances, such as Ratfest ’15 and Synergy’s Spring Spectacular, were funded by the Student Finance Board at the meeting on Wednesday, March 11.
The College Union Board requested an additional $1,835 to hold Ratfest ’15, an event to commemorate the Rathskeller bar in the Brower Student Center as it closes this semester. The last Ratfest brought Saves the Day and Man Overboard to campus in the spring 2013 semester. Besides hosting bands, CUB would like to provide a “farewell” to the popular dining location this year by bringing a food truck and DJ to honor the Rat. The event was funded $1,570.
Synergy Dance Company presented for the “Spring Spectacular,” the group’s annual dance recital. Through this event, “Synergy brings a great dance presence to the TCNJ campus.” The event was partially funded for $3,712.
Continuing the theme of springtime, the sophomore class council requested $5,665 for “Springback,” an event held every year to promote class unity between the freshman and sophomore classes. The event, which will feature a dunk tank, gladiator joust and mechanical bull, “engages students in a stress-free atmosphere” to celebrate spring and spend time with peers.
The event was fully funded and will run from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 26, on the Travers/Wolfe Lawn.
Next, the Union Latina Student Organization requested $3,915.60 for “Copa Night,” which is a Latino Awareness Celebration event held annually by the organization. Through this event, the organization wants to be able to “bring live entertainment to the community,” showcasing Latino music and celebrating Latino Awareness Month in April. By bringing a live band to campus, attendees will be able to “experience and appreciate the vivacity and infectious rhythm of Latino music.”
The board was torn on funding for food, drinks and the photo booth that the organization requested. It agreed to allocate $3,741.50 for the event, which will take place on Thursday, April 16, from 7:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. in the Travers/Wolfe Lounge.
Student Government then requested $5,504 for a T-shirt Swap to “promote school spirit and encourage students to attend sporting events.” The Homecoming Spirit Week T-shirt swap in October collected at least 350 T-shirts to donate to Goodwill, according to Vice President of Student Services Navid Radfar. The event, however, was denied funding.
The Deaf-Hearing Connection proposed next for funding for Deaf Awareness Day. As part of the day-long event, the Deaf-Hearing Connection proposed to bring Matt Hamill to campus, a deaf individual and well-known boxer.
The event was allocated $3,124 and will be held Wednesday, April 15, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Student Government was denied funding for the TCNJ Wellness Expo, which focuses on “enhancing the mental, physical and spiritual well-being of students, faculty and staff.” This event, which is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, March 24, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., will feature yoga, a stress management course, massages, therapy dogs and Jazzercise classes.
CUB then proposed for a bus trip to the St. Bart’s Concert Series in New York City, which was fully funded. The TCNJ Chorale will be performing with the critically-acclaimed vocal ensemble, Magnificat, and CUB hopes to provide a bus to provide students, faculty and staff an opportunity to attend the event.
Student Government’s final request was for funds for a trip to “The Teachers College Reading and Writing Project” at Columbia University. This event, held on Saturday, March 28, is open to educators across the nation and offers free workshops and keynotes. The trip was fully funded for $1,500.
Next, Financial Management Association asked for $2,450 to fund the “Spring Excel Modeling Seminar,” which is a program designed to “teach students the applied skills of using excel to build financial models.” FMA said the largest benefit of this event is that it “will differentiate TCNJ students and increase their ability to get competitive jobs.” The program will be held on Saturday, March 28, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It was funded $1750.00.
The Society of Creative Endeavors approached the board for its previously tabled proposal to bring Crispin Freeman to campus. The event, “Mythology & Meaning: A Night with Crispin Freeman,” will feature a panel by Freeman, who is a well-known actor and voice actor. It will be held on Friday, May 1, at 6:30 p.m. in the Library Auditorium. The event was fully funded for $6,500.
Finally, TCNJ Musical Theatre requested $200 to fund posters advertising for its annual “Cabaret Night.” The non-ticketed event provides performance opportunities for club members outside of major productions.
The proposal was fully funded, and the event will be held Friday, March 27, and Saturday, March 28, in the Library Auditorium.
*Even though SFB agrees to finance certain events, there is no guarantee these events will take place. The approval only makes the funds available.
