Student Groups Express Desire for More Funding, Uncertain About Plausibility

When members of the club cricket team were deciding how to travel to a national tournament in Florida last year, they had two options, Rishav Mukherji ’15 said. They could either buy a plane ticket at their own cost or ride in a rented car.

Mukherji, a member of the team, described the experience as “pretty horrible.” He recalled that team members had to drive the long trip down in 28 hours, play their games, and quickly return.

The cricket team relies on UC grants to support its costs, yet in recent years, the UC has had to cut funding for club sports like cricket because of budget concerns.

On Thursday afternoon, the UC president and vice president will meet with University President Drew Faust to request an additional $250,000 in funding that would primarily be distributed to student groups. UC leaders have argued that additional funds are necessary to keep pace with peer institutions and support a growing array of student activities.

Although Mukherji admitted he does not know what would result from the meeting, he does know that the cricket team’s current annual budget of $1,050 “is not enough to cover costs.”

Like Mukherji, several members of student organizations interviewed Wednesday agreed that more funding would be helpful and pledged either their support or presence at the meeting Thursday.

Yet many expressed uncertainty about whether UC leaders will be able to acquire their desired funds.

Ned S. H. Lu ’16, treasurer of the Chinese Students Association, one of the largest cultural groups on campus, says that the group would benefit greatly if the UC were able to provide more financial assistance.

“We really rely on UC funding,” Lu said, noting that the majority of the CSA’s budget comes from UC grants.

Although Lu said the CSA and UC have maintained a good relationship, he also noted that his group has not been able to receive as much funding for larger events as they have in the past. He attributes that shift to a change in UC finance rules in the fall that reduced the maximum allowed funding per individual for such events from $5 to $4.

“We’ve received less money this year relative to previous years,” Lu said. “It hurt us.”

Lu also voiced his support for the UC’s efforts to request more funding Thursday.

Meredith D. Arra ’15, who serves as the treasurer for the Phillips Brooks House Association, a nonprofit group that pursues social justice efforts, expressed a similar sentiment

According to Arra, more funding would enable the organization to better support its volunteers. Although the PBHA receives about $3 million in total funding from various outlets, most of it cannot be directed towards the volunteers, she said.

The $30,000 that the UC has granted to the PBHA for each of the past three years allows the group to cover operating costs and assist volunteers by covering costs for transportation to after school mentoring programs, training, and food, Arra said.

“If we received more, it would greatly benefit our programs,” she said.

Still, Arra said that although she is hopeful, she is uncertain about what will happen as a result of the meeting.

—Staff writer Noah J. Delwiche can be reached at noah.delwiche@thecrimson.com.