Budgeting and Beauty

In sitting down to write today, I thought about my activities of the past few days. Dollar amounts, Excel spreadsheets, pages of itemized event requests, and summaries of the hundreds of student organizations flew threw my mind. Why? Because this Sunday, after a weekend filled with the various celebrations for Charter Day, my day was consumed with 10 straight hours of working on the budget for student organizations.

I am fortunate to serve the student body as the Vice President of the Student Assembly, and along with the President, our Secretary of Finance, and our Chief of Staff, we are tasked each year with amending the budget after the initial proposal is set forth by the Executive Appropriations Committee. Our process this weekend was only the second step in a long process that ensures that all organizations receive the funding that they need and deserve, and that the student activities fee that each student pays annually is kept at a reasonable amount. This presents an interesting duality of goals, which often can seem at odds with one another, as we attempt to provide ample funding, yet maintain reasonable fees. We are presented with requests from hundreds of organizations, all of which serve an integral part in the diverse and rich tapestry of our student body, and it is our job to go line by line and consider the dollar amounts for every aspect of every event. Consider for example that the class officers for a particular class want to have a dance. We have to consider the DJ amount, decoration costs, publicity costs, venue charges, staff fees, and food and beverage costs. We have strict regulations that guide us in our efforts and ensure equality in allotments, which limit the amount that can be appropriated for DJs, the few times when food costs will be funded, the cap on publicity fees, and so on.

The process takes hours as the details are minute and often tedious, yet each organization deserves our full consideration. It is easy to grow weary after paging through the 600 page binder, and after four hours realize you’ve only reached organizations beginning with “H.” But this is a very important job that needs to be done; a job that we were elected and appointed to do; a job that directly impacts the 7,200 students, both undergraduate and graduate, and enriches their experiences here at the College. These are the experiences that the hundreds of alumni and donors who returned to William & Mary this weekend remember, long after the facts and nuances of academia have faded. It is the participation in student organizations and the opportunity to find a passion that are transformative experiences, and the ones that make William & Mary alums give back to the College to ensure that future generations of the Tribe will be afforded the same amazing opportunities.

It was 70 degrees and beautifully sunny on Sunday. That morning, I went to brunch with one of my government professors and three W&M alums, and the entire morning was filled with their stories of why they love this university in Williamsburg, VA. My mind continued to stray as I thought about the enormous task that lay ahead of me that afternoon, the task that would prevent me from spending the precious gorgeous hours of daylight in the beautiful outdoors that day. But it was in listening to their stories, their experiences, and their involvements, that I was reminded of how important it was that I do the job ahead of me to the best of my ability. So while the hours spent pouring over numbers and requests, expense reports and spreadsheets were positively arduous, I was ever reminded of why I was doing the hard work — I kept my focus on the big picture, and realized that my involvement in this organization, the Student Assembly, was my passion, just like all of the students who were in the myriad of organizations that we were funding. My passion has and always will be to serve. And to have the opportunity to serve the students of William & Mary and to ensure that their four years can be the most transformative period in their life, makes up for the hours of sunny weather that the rest of the student body at the College got to enjoy that day.

Kristin Slawter, ’09