As the USG Projects Board approaches this semester's spending limit, USG members are becoming increasingly concerned with grants recommended by the Projects Board.
At Sunday night's USG senate meeting, USG members voted to have the Projects Board reconsider proposed funding for a Native American Day. The Projects Board recommended that the USG grant $3,691 to the Native Americans at Princeton for the event.
The Projects Board provides money for student group events. However, the USG must approve Projects Board recommendations before funds are allocated.
The Native American Day celebration, to take place April 10, will include a storyteller and a band, according to Projects Board co-chair Rebecca Choi '00.
A Projects Board grant would help defray the cost of both the band's fee and travel expenses.
"One more Native American Day and we'd be wiped out," said academics chair Todd Rich '00. Had the senate approved the Native American Day grant, Projects Board spending would have exceeded $29,000 for the semester, according to campus and community affairs chair Brad Saft '00.
"To raise the questions you're raising in the context of one grant is inappropriate," said U-Council chair Colleen Shanahan '98 in response to Rich's questioning of effects of the grant.
Alternative options
Shanahan said if USG members have a problem with large grants, they should consider revising Projects Board policy rather than picking on one student group.
USG vice president Spencer Merriweather '00, who presides over USG senate meetings and cannot make any policy comments in that role, temporarily transferred oversight of the meeting to Shanahan to make a statement.
"I think it's real important that groups that aren't strong become strong," Merriweather said. "If there are groups out there that aren't being served, I think they should be given that opportunity."
USG social chair Jeff Leven '00 said the cost of flying a band from California for the Native American Day could be reduced and suggested the Projects Board continue to work with the Native Americans at the University to find a more cost-efficient way of bringing the band to campus.
Attendance
Projects Board funding is partly based on possible attendance for events. Saft said because the Native American Day is on Good Friday and the first night of Passover, the attendance for the event may be low.
Projects Board co-chair Bianca Toness '99 said if USG members are wondering how many people attend Projects Board-funded events, they should attend them.
"It's not as if we (in the Projects Board) didn't consider everything you're saying tonight, and we voted seven to three for the grant," Toness said.
The USG approved three other grants but voted to send the Native American Day funding back to the Projects Board.
In other USG news, Joe Wheatley '01 was approved as the new chair of the Publications Subcommittee.
The senate also ratified a proposal to change the composition of the USG Election Committee to the president, vice president, treasurer, four core committee chairs and the U-Council chair.
Senator Lee Vartan '00 presented the results of a TigerVision survey and said he recommends replacing one of the foreign language channels with Fox on the University free cable TV package.
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