RHA talks budget surplus, trayless dining results
Funding left at the end of fall semester rolls over into spring.
Published Dec. 8, 2009
The Residence Halls Association ended the semester with a budget surplus and survey results not in favor of trayless dining.
A majority of students, or 65.4 percent of those who participated in RHA's survey, would not like to see trayless dining continued. Out of the 1,078 student votes, 373 supported trayless dining. RHA President Rachael Feuerborn said about 300 students participated in last year's survey.
Before discussing the trayless survey results, RHA congressional meeting discussed funding requests.
"The first semester of last year, there was also a rollover, which is not ideal but is OK because we spend a lot more money in the second semester," Feuerborn said.
All money not used by the end of the year this year will be deposited into RHA's savings account, Feuerborn and Treasurer Tim Alexander said.
Funds from the savings account will be used to support five $1,000 scholarships, which will be given out at the end of this year, Feuerborn said.
The practice by which RHA deals with extra money in its accounts was changed at the beginning of this year. Extra money from last year went directly into this year's budget, Feuerborn said.
The events budget contained $8,500 at the beginning of the semester, the budget stated. Before the Monday congressional meeting, RHA's events budget contained $4,976.73.
"Money was spent at a faster pace at the end of the semester, which I didn't like," Feuerborn said. "It's hard to budget money, because you don't know what funding requests you're going to get."
Freshman Hayley Solarz thought the surplus in RHA's budget would be best used for philanthropic purposes.
"Money should be given to charity so you're doing something constructive and helpful rather than buying a bouncy house that no one gives a shit about," Solarz said in an e-mail.
RHA representative Allison Repking said giving the extra money for charity is possible, but such an action would need to reflect the desires of the student body.
"Otherwise, it would be like we're spending someone's money to do something for someone else, when the money was intended to be used directly by students," Repking said.
Feuerborn said she wouldn't like to see a big portion of money given to charity, but donating to a charity is definitely a possibility.
Junior Shane Hoffman, a representative of Mark Twain residence hall, submitted a funding request at the congressional meeting to purchase bags that would be filled with items to help students get through finals.
Hoffman's funding request of $350 was granted, and the funds will be used to include items such as peppermints, fruit snacks and pencils.
Feuerborn said there was concern as to whether RHA had approved all funding requests equally. Numerous sporting events sponsored by residence halls applied for funds, and although some received funds at the beginning of the year, others who submitted requests later on were denied.
"I wish the first sporting event wouldn't have been funded," Feuerborn said. "It's a touchy situation because we have to set a precedent. So, if you say that the first team can have money, and a second team comes and asks for money, you have to give it to them. So, when the second team came, we said we messed up and we gave them the money, but now we're no longer going to do that."
Repking said the surplus might have been smaller if more organizations had known to apply to RHA for funds, and clarified the people to whom funds might be given.
"You need to be either affiliated or living in the residence halls, because all of the money that comes from the residents living in the halls," Repking said. "Certainly, there are some projects that we may consider if they benefit the residents, but our entire purpose is to work for the residents."