TCU Senate hears 12 supplementary funding requests

Members of the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate met Sunday evening in the Sophia Gordon Multipurpose Room to discuss Allocations Board (ALBO) funding. 

There were 12 supplementary funding requests from clubs and organizations presented, discussed and voted on by senators. All requests passed, with some amendments to monetary amounts. In all, TCU Senate allocated $22,882 to those who requested funds. 

The Crafts Center was granted a total of $553, $250 of which will go to repairing five pottery wheels and a pug mill, and the rest of which will be dedicated to replacing equipment.

The Tufts Dance Collective (TDC) requested an additional $750 for pizza for its dancers between performances in its spring show to match funding for previous years.

“The way that the shows are set up, which is not really negotiable, is that there’s a show at 4 p.m. and a show at 9 p.m. the same day, and so the dancers have to stay there from 4 to 9, essentially, and they need to be fed. That’s just the safe thing to do,” Iyra Chandra, a senator from the Class of 2022 and an ALBO member, said. 

The Association of Latin American Students (ALAS) is holding an event at Rosa Mexicano in Boston for about 70 people. They asked for $3,090 to pay for the venue, and TCU Senate approved this amount. 

The annual conference organized by Alliance Linking Leaders in Education and the Services (ALLIES) is growing, and the organization needs more money than they did in past years. They asked for $2,402 to cover speaker costs, plus $4,700 for food, which includes catering from various stores and restaurants as well as meal tickets for on-campus dining halls. TCU Senate granted the full $7,102. 

TCU Senate made an exception to the usual six-person cap on off-campus event funding for The National Society of Black Engineers, which will attend a regional conference in Niagara Falls.

“We told them about the six-person cap and we asked why they want to send more and they said it’s a very individual event where they grow as individuals rather than just learning something they can bring back, so they want to benefit as many individuals as possible,” first-year Senator Sarah Tata said.  

The National Society of Black Engineers requested $6,488 to cover transportation, lodging and registration. ALBO recommended a figure of $5,840, which was then granted by TCU Senate. 

Children of Cultures of Africa (COCOA) needs new costumes for its performances this year. 

“They have a theme for their shows every year, which is why costumes are within their annual budget rather than within five years. They’re very specific to whatever theme they’re doing. I think last year they had a very modern theme, but this year they want to do a more traditional African theme,” Associate Treasurer and ALBO member Insiya Naim said.

Additionally, TCU Senate reviewed COCOA’s entire budget, which included the funds needed for its spring general interest meeting, team activities, competition fees, transportation for competitions and performances and renting Cohen Auditorium for its spring showcase. They requested a total of $2,480 to cover these events, and TCU Senate gave them $1,772 since the organization is currently unsure of the exact amount of money needed to fund its events.

The International Club had previously been granted funds for a pumpkin carving event, but after deciding to change it to a Día de Los Muertos Celebration, they asked for more money. They plan to use the money previously allocated to them for decorations, and requested $285 for food and $250 for activity supplies.

Students for Environmental Awareness is holding a forest cleanup event in the Middlesex Fells on Nov. 3 and requested $100 for transporting people to the location. ALBO, however, recommended $90, which TCU Senate granted. 

“We were trying to contemplate different transportation methods in order to avoid having them take Ubers, but I personally thought that taking Ubers is probably the most acceptable way for students to actually participate in this event, because not everyone will be able to drive themselves or walk to the Fells,” Naim said. 

Senate also allocated a total of $2,560 to performing groups, in line with ALBO recommendations. ALBO and TCU Senate both approved the Tufts Observer's request for $120 for an RSS feed, as well as Tufts Financial Group's $470 request for alumni gifts.