The Rocket

Issue date: 3/2/07 Section: News

Several perspectives exist regarding the future of the Late Night Taskforce as its fate hangs in the balance.

One view is that not enough organizations are currently being funded by the LNTF. Another position asserts that the LNTF serves many purposes that benefit SRU's student body.

The LNTF reviews proposals and distributes funding for late night activities at SRU. Late night is defined as the time between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m., on either Friday or Saturday.

A decision regarding the future of the LNTF will be made at SRU's Cooperative Activities meeting Friday. The meeting will take place at 2:30 in room 204 of the University Union and is open to the public.

Talk of removing the LNTF began at a Co-op meeting several weeks ago. A central reason for pushing for elimination of the LNTF revolves around a lack of organizations that receive funding specifically through the Taskforce each year.

The LNTF requested $15,600 for the fall semester of 2007, a 4 percent increase in its total budget from last year. The Taskforce budget proposal is the only organization budget proposal currently not approved by Co-op for next fall. A total of $7,560 was funded through the Taskforce for this past fall, an amount nearly $6,800 less than last spring.

"I like to see us spending our money as prudently as we can and get more bang for our buck," said associate professor of communication and Co-op faculty representative Mark Chase. "I'd like to see us with spending the student's money-getting back out and touching as many students as it can."

A letter denying LNTF funding was sent out by Co-op to several organization leaders last Friday. Chase said that the letter was sent out by accident. The letter only detailed that the LNTF was the only organization that had not been approved funding for next semester, and was not sent as a sign that the organization was about to be eliminated, according to Chase.

However, organization leaders were encouraged by Co-op to insert all late night budgets into their standard organization budget for next year, rather than through the LNTF.

"There was some discussion early on about it being something that we need to revisit," Chase said.

But Chase also said that the final decision should come down to the students, and that they are often too influenced by advisers to their organizations, himself included.

"The students should be controlling the money," Chase said. "It's their money, let them decide how to spend it."

The LNTF was started in the spring semester 2004 as an SGA initiative.

A request for LNTF funding must be for an event open to the entire SRU community. Events include movies, concerts, carnivals, contests, dances and talent shows, to name a few. To obtain late night funding, an organization must meet with the LNTF adviser and submit a proposal. The organization then meets in front of LNTF board members. An organization representative then talks about how the money will be allocated. Finally, a vote is taken on the organization's proposal by LNTF board members.

Two LNTF board members who were on hand at a LNTF meeting Thursday afternoon included SGA Vice President for Student Life Richard Graham and junior Shawnta Reed. Graham cited the Feb. 23 Online Rocket poll to show the student body's opinion about the LNTF. Forty-four percent of respondents voted that the LNTF encourages organizations to plan late night activities. Only 19 percent voted that the LNTF fails to reach its goals.

Reed said that she supports the LNTF because of services that the organization provides beyond funding.

"The LNTF provides advisement on how to make an event better, how to gain attendance and how to advertise," Reed said.

Reed also said that eliminating the Taskforce gives Co-op too much authority in handling late-night programming.

"SGA is here to govern the student body, Co-op is to budget, and by giving Co-op the LNTF role, it is giving them too much power," Reed said.

If the Taskforce ceases to exist, then the fact that all late night funding would be reallocated into each organization's budget bothers SGA commuter senator and Co-op student representative Steve Winslow.

"That is not really Co-op's expertise, the LNTF has students who focus on programming," Winslow said at the meeting. "There are other organizations that have funding that is similar to the LNTF. Not only do they have funding, but they provide advisement for the organizations."

Winslow, who is also the vice president of weekend events at SRU, said that as a member of Co-op, he knows that late night requests will not be handled beyond the funding for the event.

"No requirements, no commitment through Co-op," Winslow said.

Winslow holds a vote on Taskforce allocation, on top of his UPB affiliation. But a Co-op member who presents a proposal for late night funding does not vote on that particular allocation.

Winslow said that his stake in the LNTF's future goes beyond self-interest.

"I see the value of all these other organizations," Winslow said. "If you don't see the value in the programs, then you really shouldn't be a student leader."

Amy Kelly contributed to this article.

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