By Jackie Delaney
Staff Writer
PRISM’s “Bell’s Roar” and “Queer Culture Day” were fully funded by the Student Finance Board at their weekly meeting on Wednesday, March 25.
PRISM approached the board for $1,100 for “Bell’s Roar,” an event that will include an afternoon workshop and evening musical performance to “pay tribute to the LGBTQ musicians” that have contributed to music history.
The event, which is scheduled to be held during Transgender Awareness Week, will take place on Thursday, April 23. It was fully funded with an added $75 for a sound technician.
PRISM requested $270 for “Queer Culture Day,” which will be celebrated with a trip to New York City. The day’s itinerary will include visits to the Leslie and Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art, the Stonewall Inn and Greenwich Village. PRISM said it would be “a fun and educational day,” allowing attendees to “bond, learn and explore the city.” The trip was fully funded.
Then, All College Theatre, TCNJ Musical Theatre and The Mixed Signals requested $5,100 for a previously tabled proposal to hold the annual ROCK Improv Comedy Festival. The proposal, tabled on Wednesday, Feb. 25 because of a missing fee for reserving Mayo Concert Hall, includes plans to bring professionals from Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB), a popular improvisational comedy group. The festival will include performances from TCNJ Alumni, The Mixed Signals and UCB, which will be hosting a workshop for students interested in improv comedy. The event was fully funded.
Active Minds — an organization that aims to remove stigmas and increase awareness about mental health — then requested $5,025 for “Send Silence Packing,” a nationally recognized exhibit that travels to college campuses with 1,100 donated backpacks. These backpacks, displayed in a high-traffic area on campus, represent the number of college students lost to suicide each year.
According to Active Minds, the exhibition is “important to spur discussion” on campus about mental health, “creating a link between students and faculty” to raise awareness.
The board discussed the organization’s advertising of the event before it was funded, which is against SFB rules. Active Minds received a warning from the board, but “Send Silence Packing” was still fully funded.
Later, the Spanish Club approached the board for a trip to Washington, D.C., to visit the Mexican Cultural Institute. The institute showcases the work of many well-known Mexican artists. The event, which requested $1,500, was tabled by the board.
Finally, Student Government proposed for a trip to the Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company in Croydon, Pa., for the Class of 2015. Seniors are invited on a tour of the company and will “learn from the owners the fascinating science behind brewing beer and all that it takes to successfully run a company,” according to the group’s proposal. The trip, scheduled for Saturday, April 11, was fully funded $280 by SFB.
*Even though SFB agrees to finance certain events, there is no guarantee these events will take place. The approval only makes the funds available.
