Megan Masuret
Staff Writer
After considering all of the proposals for the $12,322 initiative, CCSGA has decided to award the money to five of the ten interested groups.
The initiative was established in response to student complaints about the amount of money awarded to Playhard Production’s Ice Age event during first semester. Many students were enraged that such significant funding was given to a single event, so this initiative gave other student organizations the opportunity to suggest other student-wide events for second semester.
Groups were asked to pitch an idea for an event in order to be eligible for funding. CCSGA President Isaac Green and Vice President for Finance Alejandro Salazar developed the initial idea for the initiative, but it was the Finance Committee that carried out the rest of the process.
Despite the initiative’s name, a group could not receive $12,322. Instead, individual groups could apply for small amounts of money that would add up to be $12,322, the amount Playhard Productions received for Ice Age. 
In reviewing the proposals, each member of the Finance Committee had a copy of each submission and reviewed it independently. They considered which portions of the idea they would approve, which ones they would change, and how much total funding they would supply.
After individual consideration, the Committee reconvened and discussed it as a group to finalize their decisions.
One benefit of the initiative is that it simplified the proposal process. The typical process requires a detailed description of the event, a proposed budget, and what exactly the funding will go towards. For the initiative, however, students only needed an idea.
“It’s a way to get people to apply for money that will help them throw an event that will help enrich the campus,” Green said.
While the initiative was presented sometime during Block 3, CCSGA received very few submissions until they introduced the last day of Block 4 as a deadline. In total, there were ten proposals, five of which were recently selected to receive the funding.
The Native American Student Union (NASU) was granted $672 to construct an adobe oven on campus near Worner. Apart from being eco-friendly, the oven also facilitates community life, which is important to tribes such as the Pueblos and the Zuni. The oven burns less wood than other wood-burning ovens, and does not require the use fossil fuels.
The Sounds of Colorado College (SOCC) received $1000 to fund a local shuttle service to nearby venues, such as Ivywild. The shuttle will hopefully promote appreciation for live music outside campus, and keep students warm during the commute!
Sophomore Jackson Foster proposed a nutrition lecture series on behalf of CC Plant Strong, to bring in top educators and activists knowledgeable about the links between our diet, long-term health, and the environment.
CCSGA devoted $1000 primarily to help fund the first speaker, but intends to stay in contact with Foster to help him connect with other sources of funding such as the President’s cabinet and the Deans.
The last two events that will receive funding from the $12,322 initiative relate to the common love for music among CC students. Senior William Sword was granted $5,000 to orchestrate a concert for later in the year in Gates Commons. Sword intended to bring Twittle to campus, but they will be touring in Colorado during CC’s Spring Break. Thus, the band for this event is still to be determined, but students can anticipate something funky!
The final event funded by the initiative gave $5,000 to Dance Workshop to put on a full-day event entitled “Shut Up and Stop Making Sense,” which is a fusion of two renowned concert films that blend electronic music with rock and roll: “Stop Making
Sense” and “Shut Up and Play the Hits.”
This event will bring CC’s favorite on-campus performance groups together for a day of concerts, dancing, and enjoyment, as well as student DJs, the CC Concert Band, Tiger Jazz, The Back Row and other a cappella groups, and a new dance workshop piece choreographed by senior Sylvie Scowcroft. The event will take place in Cornerstone.
Based on the demands of the events, the Financial Committee used their discretion to appropriately divvy up the $12,322. Events that attract a larger number of students or require more facilities were granted more money. In the end, CCSGA provided a total $12,672 for the five events.
The other organizations were not selected mainly because their proposals requested money for purposes other than to put on an event. For example, Tiger Jujitsu and the Men’s Club both requested funding for basic needs of a new organization, since both clubs are new to CC.
CCSGA has a separate grant called the New Student Grant Fund, which is for the exact purpose of providing start-up funds. Additionally, CCSGA has already provided Tiger Jujitsu with some funding and is continuing to work with them to seek more funds.
“This is the kind of the money that you want to effect all students,” Green said, “So event proposals are better than equipment.”
Some of the requests that were not selected for this semester are still being considered for next semester because the spring semester has the majority of the big events such as Llamapalooza and Blues and Shoes. Students present for the upcoming semester can expect a similar “big event” during the fall blocks.