Fund finances students’ recreation ideas

The applications are reviewed by the College Community Fund committee, which is made up of Whitman College Director of Student Life Devon Wessman-Smerdon and one student from each residential college. The CCF committee meets every three weeks to review applications and respond to students with a decision.

According to Wessman-Smerdon, the CCF had a budget of $40,000 this year. The resources came from each of the residential colleges, the Office of the Dean of the College and the Office of the Vice President for Campus Life.

In order for students to get support from the fund, the program they propose must be completely new and promote interactions between the colleges or classes. Both individuals and groups of students are allowed to apply, but they must be undergraduates.

“The fund is designed to help promote and foster a stronger sense of community and identity in the colleges,” Wessman-Smerdon said in an email.

According to CCF Butler College representative Danielle Kutasov ’14, the committee “received a diverse array of ideas from a variety of students.” For example, the CCF supported the Whitman/Forbes Night at the Art Museum on March 29. The night included special guided tours of the museum, catered food and desserts and a performance by Roaring 20, a co-ed a cappella group on campus.

“I think the CCF has a lot of potential as a way to encourage innovative, community-building ideas that will enhance life on campus and make the residential colleges a central and memorable part of every student’s experience,” Kutasov said in an email.

Another project for which the CCF provided funding was the Wilson/Whitman Winter Olympics. Whitman resident Kevin Donahue ’12 and Wilson resident Kameron Knab ’12, who serve on their respective residential college councils, proposed the idea for the event in February.

The competition consisted of games such as dodgeball and volleyball, a pie-eating contest and a beanie hat giveaway for all Whitman and Wilson residents. Donahue said that though attendance was not as high as they had hoped, both residential colleges saw roughly equivalent representation.

“The impetus for the project was really that the CCF money was available, and we wanted to find something fun to do with it,” Donahue said in an email. “I think that the CCF could be a lot more successful if more people, especially students not involved in college councils, were aware of it. It was a pretty smooth, easy process getting the money, and the more events coming from all sorts of people with good ideas we have happening, the more fun it’ll be to live at Princeton.”

Once funds are approved for a project, they become available immediately for use. Whitman College Administrator Kristin Frasier helps students figure out how to use the money they receive.

“Kristin was very helpful with ordering the food, gear, etc. for the event,” Donahue said.