As another person closely associated with this matter, I would like to clarify a couple of issues regarding your club’s request. Mr. Baker–I understand your frustrations in this situation. Next time I invite you to deal directly with Steve Held, SGA Finance Director, Michael Frixen, Finance Committee Chair, or Bart Andrus, SGA Adviser, for it is these three individuals whom ultimately review and process your request; Casey is a wonderful aide but she is not the final authority when it comes to allocation of the SGA’s limited funds (Make sure you express your deep gratitude for her since she paid for the event herself out of her own pockets). If you work through the appropriate individuals, then all necessary information can be obtained. The reasons for the denied requests were because, through earlier e-mail communications to the Finance Committee, you provided details that a player’s entry fee provided funds for prizes with a little left over for website maintenance–there was never any indication that the WCU gaming club would be contributing anything to cover the expenses of the event other than prizes. If this is not accurate, the point could have been clarified through proper communication with the aforementioned individuals and on Catamount Connections. I understand you had intended on attending the Finance Committee meeting last night yet you failed to make an appearance. Only through later communication was it established that you had briefly come to the meeting, but the reason was for another inquiry as a part of your work with Casey and not with the Finance Committee. In the future, I recommend working with the proper authorities in regards to SGA supplemental funding. The other option is to seek SGA sponsorship of your next LAN event, in which case I direct you to Aaron Bloemsma, the current SGA president. In one final note, the fundraising effort you described in which you incurred the loss of $90 should have reimbursed you with that amount. And if you rejected reimbursement, then that was a donation on your behalf.
As for the other members of the WCU gaming club, your hasty and biased accusations also deserve a bit of fair-minded reconsideration. First of all, I am baffled by your disdain of Greek fraternity and sorority organizations. I can say for a fact that SGA does not hold them in any higher regard than other student organizations. Furthermore, they are competent and successful when it comes to raising funds and financing their own events–they rarely approach SGA for money because, well, they are responsible and capable of managing their own finances. Also, in response to MasterP’s charge that they do “next to nothing,” the Greek-affiliated students at WCU are some of the most committed and involved students at WCU, supporting philanthropies, charities, service projects, and other university activities such as Relay For Life, Up ‘Til Dawn, Valley Ballyhoo, Catamount athletics–the list goes on and on. On top of this, their members and alumni are among the greatest financial contributors, not only to their own organizations but to many other clubs and university services as well. I hope you don’t mind me asking, MasterP (and Mr. Panetta, the Northeastern student making utterly incorrect and unfounded claims against WCU’s SGA), but what have you as members of the Gaming Club done to promote your organization’s financial sustainability?
Oh Malley’s post is a step in the right direction, but it still does not hit the heart of the matter. The WCU gaming club should make greater provisions to provide for its own finances and expenditures. The complaints are numerous regarding how SGA has supported the WCU gaming club in the past, but the lesson to be learned from this is that the club should endeavor to become more financially and operationally responsible. Unless Mr. Baker decides to seek sponsorship of these LAN activities, and unless the club begins to demonstrate greater financial independence, then I would suspect less and less FINANCIAL support from SGA, and I emphasize “financial” for a reason–the SGA’s first and foremost purpose is to, in every circumstance, support student organizations and to ensure student rights. However, because of your past experiences in hosting LAN events and because of the impressive state of your current website, I envision your organization being able to fund and finance its own activities. Am I implying that SGA will never again provide supplemental funding to the WCU Gaming Club? Absolutely not, and I hope that this is not the impression your organization receives. Each future supplemental funding request will be considered in a fair and balanced fashion. The likelihood of their approval will be greater, though, if your organization is able to demonstrate how it is contributing to its own financial independence. Again, seek assistance from the above-mentioned individuals as to how to appropriately submit any future supplemental funding requests.
So, you may continue to express your discontent with SGA in these forums and continue raving about false stereotypes regarding other model campus organizations, but I doubt it will take you far. Whether your organization chooses to the work with the SGA or not, the SGA has nevertheless proven to be an invaluable resource to many clubs and organizations (Including yours, in case you’ve forgotten the thousands of dollars SGA has directed towards the Gaming Club in the past). In the end, despite all of the cynical and derisive accusations posted by your members, remember that the current state of the WCU Gaming Club is largely responsible because of past contributions from the SGA. I encourage continued cooperation between your organization and the WCU-SGA. I also encourage your organization to take progressive steps towards procuring additional funding, either from its own members, by seeking further funds from outside entities, or via other means. In doing so, your organization will be able to operate with much greater flexibility and with full backing support of the SGA.
In other regards, yes–your organization is a magnificent one, comprising one of the most active and flourishing student clubs at Western Carolina University, and I hope you understand that SGA backs your organization 100%. Nevertheless, the SGA cannot–will not–continue to extend monies to those organizations that demonstrate no contribution on their behalf to move towards greater financial security and independence. In conclusion, I charge the WCU gaming club to view this situation not in a negative light, but to view it instead as a call towards greater financial stability and independence as a organization. Take steps to fund-raise and host even more events. Perhaps one day you’ll even be able to grant travel packages to members such as rainefardreamer so that distant gamers can come play. Who knows–maybe even an E3-like event is in store for Western.
You may thoughtfully consider what I have said or simply erase the post from the message board. However, as a gamer myself and as someone integrally involved with the SGA, I encourage you to pursue the former of these two options. It will lead to a better lasting relationship with not only between the SGA and the WCU Gaming Club, but between the Gaming Club and the university as a whole. Please review what I have recommended–movement towards greater financial independence–with an open mind. The SGA will be there to support you but it encourages heightened internal efficiency in your organization as well. Before ending, I ask that Shane posts the apology letter that followed his initial condemnation of his experience.
Sincerely–