SGA spending in question
By Staff
September 7, 2012
The debatable spending on school tradition could be headed to SGA’s way very soon.
During the first SGA meeting the student Senate approved $5,500 for the purchase of rally towels during the griffon athletic games. The funding for the towels is coming from the Senate’s special project budget that deals with improving the students experience at Missouri Western.
Usually this project works to bring students free t-shirts as well as the new chairs and tables last year in Popplewell. The Senate is careful to spend the funds wisely toward getting students items that they can use on a daily basis. It just seems that for the senate to purchase 3,000 rally towels at $1.85 per towel for only half of the students is clearly wrong.
The idea behind the towels is a great idea in keeping with school tradition, but for SGA to pass this through is completely unfair to say the least. Western has over 6,000 students who are full and part-time, and each one of these students pays the SGA fee depending on the amount of credit hours enrolled in.
The SGA fee pays toward the rally towels, and though each student pays for the SGA fee not every student will get a rally towel. It’s time for the student Senate to touch base with the students and find out whether they believe the funding should be going toward items like these.
The price of the towel is inexpensive, but most feel that the quality is very poor. There will always be those who disapprove of them, and those who like the idea. A few senators voted against the towels, but having the towel issue on the agenda during the first meeting might not have been the best idea.
If the Senate and SGA are looking at these towels as a form of tradition for the school, the question of price per towel and assurance that each student will receive one must be addressed. What happens to these towels after the games is a good question to ask.
There are already school traditions for Western, such as the homecoming bonfire, or the rival football game with Northwest Missouri State. SGA should plan out where funding is necessary, and not waste it on one- time items such as these towels.
This article literally makes my stomach turn, but I’ll bite my tongue.
If one so wishes to have a direct vote and say, there are still senate seats open. Students are encouraged to join.
The “free t-shirts”given out in past years have doubtedly reached every one of our 6,000 students who pay fees associated with the special projects budget. Those free t-shirts are most always passed out at home sporting events, as will be the case for the rally towels. For you to assume that every one of our 6,000 students will attend a sporting event at least once this year is wishful thinking, but most likely not the case. I would be willing to bet that there are students who did not receive free t-shirts in the past, that were funded by their student fees.
As far as traditions that already exist at Western – The homecoming bonfire is a great tradition that lasts a total of one day of the fall sports season. The NWMSU game is a great rivalry, and one that students look forward to, however it is also just one football game. These rally towels offer a united way for students to join together as a fan base at ALL sporting events, not simply two events of the fall season. Our student section at sporting events is growing, but can always be improved. We as SGA officials felt that the towels were a big hit last year, and offer a fun, inclusive way that we as Griffon sports fans can show our support and help create an awesome gameday atmosphere, whether it is for volleyball, basketball, soccer, or football.
I would also be interested to know how many students were polled regarding the quality of the towels, as the article states that “most feel that the quality is very poor.” I have heard feedback that is quite the opposite of your claim. I’m guessing it’s a safe bet that of the 6,000 students you are attempting to defend, you did not question “most”of them for their opinion.
In all, the idea is to encourage students to support MWSU and get involved, be it the arts, professional organizations, gree life, or athletics. It just so happens that athletics are a venue that reach a large base of our students. The idea isn’t to get students to the events and then sit there in silence. The towels, t-shirts, themes for games (Black out, Gold out, etc.) are, collectively, ways to unite our fanbase and create a great atmosphere that shows visiting schools why “It’s a great day to be a Griffon!”