Given the large amount of discussion about Cuffs and funding in the Daily (both print and online), I think someone should lay out exactly how the funding works, and a few consequences of the process.

Students (and only students) pay activity fees each semester (if I understand correctly, 30 dollars per semester). Now, we could let each student decide where to put his or her money each semester, and I assure you Cuffs would be getting much more than $116 next year (say 30 students times $60 more).

On the other hand, “communal” groups like the Daily and the Financial Counseling Clinic would go massively underfunded (even compared to current funding levels) in favor of focused interest groups. This is not a wise path to choose.

Instead, we use representatives to allocate money, taking into consideration the services provided to students and the number of students interested in the club, among other things. One thing those representatives cannot (legally) take into account, however, is their personal feelings about the content of the groups being considered.

The Supreme Court ruled in Wisconsin v. Southworth that public universities must use viewpoint neutrality when allocating funding generated by mandatory student fees.

This is why Cuffs’ benefit to the university in increasing students’ safety and understanding warrants funding, whereas our controversial nature does not disqualify us.

Harlan “Duane” Long Jr.

Senior

Psychology