Editor’s note: This article was initially published in The Daily Gazette, Swarthmore’s online, daily newspaper founded in Fall 1996. As of Fall 2018, the DG has merged with The Phoenix. See the about page to read more about the DG.
To all students: Come now, many of you must have at some point been sitting in Sharples when an amazingly awesome (and possibly alliterative) idea for a party hits you…and then you forget all about it. If you have had this experience, well, recall whatever it was, and propose to SBC! Seriously.
The Student Budget Committee (SBC) has in recent years accumulated a surplus of student activities money, due to groups on campus spending significantly less than they were budgeted. Having bought what needed to be bought, and repaired what needed repairs, SBC still had extra funds. Now the committee would like to hear what the student body wants to do with the money, which can include purchasing equipment and student services as well as supporting campus events, and will use part of the funds towards those ends in the form of “concept grants.”
Students who are interested in making a proposal to SBC (and any student is welcome to do so) are asked to send a description of the event to sbc@swarthmore.edu or to the Student Budget Committee via campus mail. A few points worth mentioning are in what ways the event (or purchase) is a fresh take on campus events (i.e., why the event is not the same, old, run-of-the-mill party), how it adds to student quality of life, and an estimated cost, which should not, by its potential magnitude, discourage students from offering their ideas to SBC.
With concept grant proposals the students doing the proposing need not have a group affiliation, nor are they personally responsible for implementing their ideas; depending on the proposal, an appropriate party like a member of SBC or a campus group may take over on that note. In these ways, concept grant proposals differ from the standard SBC proposal.
All questions should be directed to SBC Manager Greg Leiserson at sbc@swarthmore.edu.
