By Eric Preisler
Production Manager
The Student Finance Board decided to stop funding LionsGate and discussed funding for several campus events at its Oct. 4 and Oct. 11 meetings.
The board had the option to fully fund or partially fund a one-year or three-year renewal for LionsGate, but unanimously voted to not offer any funds. SFB felt that though LionsGate has potential to be useful for students, it is not being widely used by the student body.
The full cost of LionsGate for 2017 was $17,654, the cost for 2018 would be $17,654 and the price would increase to $19,095 in 2019, according to documentation provided at the meeting.
The College’s Office of Involvement can still decide to fully fund LionsGate, but there will be no financial support from SFB as of now in 2018.
SFB voted to table the Class of 2020’s proposal for a Moonlight Cruise formal on Oct. 4. The proposal was tabled until the Oct. 11 meeting due to concerns about transportation. On Oct. 11, the Class of 2020 was fully funded $11,913.29 for its formal, which includes extra money to spend on transportation. Instead of using the originally requested coach buses, the Class of 2020 is actively searching for school buses. The maximum number of students for the event also increased from 150 in the Oct. 4 application to 175 in the application approved a week later.
Justin Lewbel, the sophomore class president and a history major, explained the significance that this event could have as a class activity.
“The purpose is for students to socialize with their friends and other members of their class in a unique event that they might not usually have attended,” he said.
The Asian American Association was fully funded $2,646 for its multicultural buffet, which will be held in the Brower Student Center on Nov. 10 from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
The Asian American Association, which has successfully held this event in previous years, is expecting a turnout of about 275 students.
The costs would cover catering for Korean, Filipino, Chinese and Japanese cuisine.
The proposal packet stated that this event will also include performances from the Chinese Students Association’s Dragonflies, a chinese cultural dance team, and Taiko, the College’s Japanese drumming group.
Ranen Liu, a sophomore engineering major and secretary of the Asian American Association, mentioned the importance of holding this cultural event at the College.
“The event promotes minority groups at TCNJ and spreads awareness of different cultures within TCNJ,” Liu said.
The Chinese Student Association was partially funded $1,310 for its Museum of Chinese in Modern America bus trip on Oct. 28 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The organization received funding for busing to the museum but was not funded was individual ticket expenses.
Hubert Hsu, a senior nursing major and the vice president of CSA, explained that the event can cater to a diverse range of people who want to learn about Chinese American History.
“Chinese culture shouldn’t be exclusive just to the asian population,” he said. “It may benefit any individual who wants to learn about something interesting.”
There is currently an exhibit at the museum called FOLD: Golden Venture Paper Sculptures. It tells the story of a ship that carried 286 undocumented Chinese immigrants in 1993.
Hsu stated that this event is relevant in today’s culture.
“With the whole atmosphere right now I think it’s especially important we know all different kinds of viewpoints on immigration and the hardships that people face and how people overcome this adversity,” he said.
Funding for the Deaf Hearing Connection’s Deaf Hearing Celebration Day was also tabled. The club requested $12,800, which would cover the costs to accommodate Sean Berdy, a deaf actor on Freeform’s show “Switched At Birth.”
The purpose of Deaf Celebration Day is to provide the College with a chance to experience deaf culture. A recent change from the event’s name from “Deaf Awareness Day” to “Deaf Celebration Day” was explained to be more representative of deaf culture. The proposal was tabled due to concerns about the cost of the event.
The College’s Chess Club was fully funded $289 to compete in a three-day chess tournament starting on Oct. 27 at the Hyatt Regency in Princeton, New Jersey. The club plans on sending three of its members to compete.
Xuan Chen, a junior mathematics major, said that tournaments can help chess players develop their skills, and he shared that his scores significantly improved after competing in a tournament.
“In the club we can’t really emulate what it’s like to play in a tournament, because when you’re in a tournament you feel that rush of adrenaline,” he said. “It’s kind of like the difference between a practice and a real game in a sport.”
Sigma Sigma Rho was partially funded $314 to screen the film “Enough” and a free self-defense class for their Sigma for Society week, taking place the week of Oct. 23.
The proposal states that purpose of this event is to raise awareness for domestic violence, which does not elude the campus community.
“People between the ages of 16 and 24 are most likely to experience power-based personal violence,” said Pooja Shah, a senior biology major and sister of Sigma Sigma Rho. “One in six women and one in nine men at the College of New Jersey have reported domestic violence, stalking, or sexual assault in the past 12 months.”
At the self defense workshop, students can learn self-defense moves and information about domestic violence.
Funding for the Haitian Student Association’s Caribbean Game Night was tabled. The proposal stated that the event could give students a chance to experience an event filled with laughter, music and games.
“It’s basically giving us and the Caribbean kids a taste of what it’s like back home,” said Rosebernoude Cherilus, the president of HSA and a sociology and anthropology double major.
The event was tabled due to food costs.
TCNJ Barkada, the College’s Filipino club, was fully funded $3,199.94 for its event, Barangay, which will be held on Nov. 4, in the Decker Social Space from 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
“Barangay… translates roughly to fiesta, block party, and it’s basically a variety show where we will attempt to highlight various aspects of Filipino culture that are important to us and that the student body, we believe, will enjoy as well,” said Alexa Sia, the president of Barkada and a junior nursing major.
This event aligns with the club’s values, which focuses on bringing those in the Filipino community together and educating the College about their culture.
“Our main goal is to one unite the Filipino Americans in campus and give them a comfortable space to come come together and share their experiences,” Sia said. “Our second goal is to share, promote and educate the entire TCNJ student body about our culture.”
The Student New Jersey Education Association was partially funded $2,205 to attend the National Teacher’s convention in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Nov. 8 and Nov. 9.
“This convention is really unique because it offers education majors an opportunity to network with other teachers across the state,” said Juliana Recarey, President of SNJEA and junior elementary education and iSTEM double major. "90 percent of NJSEA members say that the NJEA Convention is the reason why they get involved in professional development as a pre-service teacher”
SFB’s partial allocation for the event will cover the costs for one bus to take students to and from the convention on each day.
SFB fully funded TCNJ Musical Theatre’s Broadway Night for $132.38, which includes piano tuning fees and library auditorium house management fees. This event is anticipated to be held on Dec. 1 from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the auditorium.
This event provides students with rehearsal and performing opportunities that are usually limited in TMT’s main productions.
The event “helps fulfill a constitutional goal of TMT to give its membership multiple performance opportunities each semester outside of our flagship musicals,” according to the event’s proposal packet.
PRISM was fully funded $525 for its Big Gay Bingo event for Queer Awareness Month, which will be held in Room 115 in the Education Building on Oct. 26 from 8:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.
“We will provide TCNJ students with a night of entertainment and fun while exposing them to a well known but little appreciated area of LGBTQ+ culture,” the proposal stated. “The event will allow students to come together for a break from mid-semester stress and give them the opportunity to win fun prizes.”
