As club leaders begin to receive their anxiously awaited marathon decisions, this paper can’t help but notice that most clubs seem to be losing money each year while inflation continues to rise. The Brandeis Hoot, for example, has received a funding decision that would barely allow us to continue to print our newspaper on a regular basis, let alone pay our distributors, replace our stolen equipment from the club resource room or plan any events. As new leadership begins in clubs all over campus, including this one, it is hard not to feel like we are inheriting the punishments of the past, even if there is not much to punish at all. If you save some money, it is redacted from your balance for the following year as “extra” that doesn’t carry over, but if you spend it all, the Treasury won’t be giving you any more. Not to mention there is no adjustment for inflation nor consideration of consistent club engagement beyond events. As far as we know, most clubs have to endure the appeal process, a process that implies there are funds to give that they could have given us already.
How are clubs supposed to continue growing if they are being cut off at the roots? In this game of cat and mouse, most clubs are forced to play where they have to request more than they need to receive barely enough to survive. It devalues the marathon process as a whole and creates an inefficiency that feels very much avoidable. It is the opinion of the Hoot that the clusterfuck that is marathon could be done in a more systematic method that does not require treasurers to fight with one another over the imagined lump sum that must be split between us all. Not only would this allow for club treasurers to discuss their budgets with Student Union allocations board more closely but it would also promote collaboration between clubs and the Union rather than the antagonistic relationship that exists now. Furthermore, we believe that if clubs only require the same amount they were approved for in previous years, they should not have to do a full reapplication for funding—we know the school is running out of money but c’mon. Final thoughts: money talks and we are listening and it’s telling me it wants to come home, so give us the money.
