Students should demand more control of student activities fee
After reading Brendan Ansier’s column, one has to wonder why the Student Activities Fee is neither voluntary nor earmarkable. Or at least why these ideas were never debated when the activities fee originated.
Brendan is correct: Passion is all around Northwestern. Unfortunately, the Associated Student Government is the only mechanism we have to channel it, by which I mean fund it adequately.
If students could earmark where they wanted the activities fee to go, then campus would be more representative of its students. If nothing else, we would know what students really want. If the activities fee was voluntary, we would see if students truly believe in campus programming or if they would choose to take advantage of Chicago and all it has to offer.
ASG has yet to prove itself as the ablest and fairest arbiter of our money and, thus, we should demand more of it or take our money back. ASG’s spring funding process is the crucial time for this type of debate. Let your voices be heard in The Daily, in ASG or somewhere else, but develop some opinion. After all, it is your money.
Colin Proksel
Weinberg junior
Got funding? If not, become a cultural group on campus
Looking at the recommendations that the Student Activities Finance Board gave for funding of student groups, there is obviously a severe deficiency of funds for groups such as A&O Productions, Studio 22 and Niteskool Productions, which need the money the most. Going by how SAFB seems to allocate funds, I am writing to suggest to the executive boards of these groups how to get more funding next time.
1. Add the word "culture" to your description.
For example, the following is an improved excerpt from the Niteskool Web site.
Niteskool Cultural Productions is Northwestern’s student-run cultural music, cultural film, and cultural concert production company. Niteskool has established itself as the leader in promoting and producing student cultural music in the Chicago area. Niteskool’s goal is to develop and distribute the highest-quality student-conceived, -performed, -directed and -produced cultural musical album in the nation.
See how that works? We all know how SAFB laps up that "cultural" spiel.
2. Throw "diversity" in for added emphasis.
Studio 22 Cultural Productions is a student-run nonprofit cultural diversity production company that is dedicated to culturally diverse student productions and creativity. Each year, Studio 22 gives major grants for two or three culturally diverse projects, a minor grant, as well as a number of mini-grants. Also, multimedia grants are given out for a variety of culturally diverse projects.
Yup, they love that "diversity" thing, too.
3. Last but not least, recruit some members of diverse cultural backgrounds and ethnicities.
A&O Cultural Productions is NU’s all-campus culturally diverse programming board. As such, we are committed to the ideal of "Total Diversity Cultural Programming." A&O’s purpose is to sponsor and produce concerts, speakers, special events and films of cultural diversity that will entertain, educate and enrich the entire culturally diverse NU community. Our members come from a variety of cultural, national and ethnic backgrounds.
That’s even better! Now that you’ve spelled it out clearly, there’s no way SAFB is going to deny your group funding. They might even give you the extras that you really need!
There you have it, three easy steps to increased SAFB funding.
No thanks needed.
Min Xiu Wu
Speech freshman
Juxtaposition of nyou articles reflected a lack of sensitivity
I was indeed pleased to see that the April 18 issue of NYOU featured an interview with artist Fazal Sheikh whose work we are now exhibiting at the Block Museum of Art. I was, however, offended by the placement of the article, next to an article on sex toys. When read separately, both articles have their individual merit, yet in the context they were presented, there is an offensive quality.
The article on Sheikh opens discussing the events surrounding Seynab Azir Wardeere, a Somali refugee. Included in the listing of her hardships faced is her sexual assault and rape. The juxtaposition of this text and the image of large sex toy to the immediate left was both disturbing and disappointing.
The work of Sheikh strives to bring dignity to individuals who have suffered so greatly in life and have been portrayed in a sensationalist manner by the media. I hope that this unfortunate design will provide an example of how texts and images interact on the page and call your attention to the need for sensitivity during the design process.
William Schendel
Director of Development
Block Museum of Art
