Comments on: Joyce-Lovejoy budget includes creation of “WikiHow Georgetown”

By: Christian

Christian — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 19:13:06 +0000

Why do you only have a couple grand for the readership program? Does that program cost like $1500 or something?

By: Eileen

Eileen — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 18:56:13 +0000

I agree with KB. If you want to go to a farmer’s market, there are already options.

By: KB

KB — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 17:21:42 +0000

@ATalbot — you’re right, there’s no such thing as a free lunch. There are plenty of causes that tuition fees go to that each individual doesn’t support. The way it was presented caught my attention, even though, as Jeff says, it’s not specifically a Joyce/Lovejoy proposal.

Better to vote with my feet than whine about the <$1 from my tuition that goes to what I think is a silly idea :)

By: Chris PIgott

Chris PIgott — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 17:13:51 +0000

Hey Adam!

I think the GUSA Fund gave some start-up money, but in order for the initiative to be institutionalized, it needs a line-item allocation for more money.

Don’t quote me on that, but I think that’s right.

By: ATalbot

ATalbot — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 17:07:14 +0000

@KB As I understand it, the GUSA Fund already took on a major partnership role in the Farmer’s Market this year. The feedback I’ve seen on the Facebook page (for whatever that is worth), has been quite uniformly positive.

In addition, I think it’s worth clarifying that even if the funding came exclusively from SAC or another advisory board, that would still be student money. SAC receives a significant portion of its funding (~30% or so, if I remember correctly) from the student activities fee, with the majority of the rest coming from tuition dollars. Some funding boards like Club Sports draw 100% of their funding from the student activities fee. All this is to the point that, particularly when it comes to student life at Georgetown, there’s no such thing as a free lunch.

Now, I might question why they’ve included a line item for the Farmer’s Market in their budget, rather than continuing to push for its funding for the GUSA Fund, but I’d betcha they have a reason why. (~*~Hey this would be a good debate question!~*~)

By: Jeff

Jeff — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 17:04:51 +0000

I think it’s a pretty cool idea. Why not bring local farmers to gtown and at the same time promote a healthier and better option to leos vittles and wiseys?

Having said that, I’m pretty sure this is an initiative that just about every candidate supports, so this isn’t unique to Joyce/Lovejoy’s platform.

By: KB

KB — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 16:58:40 +0000

Do the students that GUSA is representing want to support this idea?

I accept that one can’t control 100% of where one’s tuition fees end up. I’m just complaining. And I guess the farmer’s market is a result of students complaining that Dupont or the elementary school across from Safeway are sooooo far.

Yes, let’s propagate Georgetown’s bubble image. Let’s bring the “real world” inside the gates.

Having said that, I wouldn’t be surprised if a majority of students DID support GUSA funding for this idea. So, whatever.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 16:49:37 +0000

I don’t think the farmer’s market initiative is part of a SAC group, so they couldn’t give money to it. I think GUSA wants this to be their own initiative.

By: KB

KB — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 16:47:04 +0000

Wouldn’t the Farmer’s Market be eligible for regular SAC funding? Why is it allocated 8.75% of the whole GUSA budget?