Several campus organizations were big winners this week as the AMS Capital Allocations Committee presented their plans for fund distribution at the AMS Annual General Meeting on Mar. 23.
Among the recipients of significant funds were Athletics and Recreation, CFRC, Career Services and Alfie’s.
The committee’s mandate is to make recommendations to AMS Assembly on the allocation of funds from student contributions to a university-centred capital campaign.
It consisted of four representatives from faculty societies, AMS President Chrissie Knitter, AMS Vice-President of university affairs Mike Jones, and Amanda O’Boyle, AMS media and services director.
The 17 proposals submitted to the Committee requested over $750,000 in funds. Unable to fulfill all the requests, the Committee was forced to be selective, finally allocating $270,833 for 11 different organizations.
“It was difficult to make the allocations,” said Knitter, who chaired the committee. “However, I am happy that we were able to allocate funds to such a wide variety of different groups.” The largest proportion of the money was allocated to Athletics and Recreation, with $100,000 slated for renovations to Tindall Field.
In a long-term initiative slated for completion in the fall of 2005, the field will be re-turfed with artificial grass and furnished with new lighting.
Knitter said the Tindall Field renovation is intended to complement the proposed Queen’s Centre athletic facility.
“The Queen’s Centre facilities will be indoor and geared for more competitive use,” Knitter said. “The renovations to Tindall Field will help satisfy the needs for intramural games and varsity practices.” CFRC, which came under AMS jurisdiction for the first time in September, will receive $48,980 for a new transmitter and associated equipment to replace systems in its radio signal path.
Stu Mills, CFRC operations officer, said new equipment will help the station function better.
“As a radio station, you can’t gamble on your transmitter, and we’ve been gambling with our transmitter for many years,” he said.
While Mills said improvements to the station would have likely taken place regardless of AMS involvement, having its has been helpful.
“It’s nice to be able to take advantage of the opportunities that the AMS brings,” he said. “I think people want this station to do well, and now we will have a chance to really improve its quality.” Career Services was granted $13,500 to furnish a resource centre in their new home on the second floor of the renovated Gordon Hall.
“This money will help make for an improved and welcoming environment for students to seek information on career opportunities,” said Barb Mundell, co-ordinator of employment programs at Career Services.
Career Services recently lost its bid in the February referendum to establish a mandatory fee.
A more controversial allocation was $13,500 for Alfie’s, under the condition that the service match the amount through its own fundraising. The money will be used to transform the troubled bar into a special events facility.
“Alfie’s will be open in September for special events,” Knitter said. “Next year, our insurance policy will change so that many more groups will have to stay on campus for events. [Alfie’s] will be a licensed facility for smokers and semi-
formals that groups will be able to rent out.
“Alfie’s will not be open to the public on a regular basis,” she said.
According to David Wares, Sci ’05, who drafted the proposal for capital allocation for Alfie’s, the money will be primarily used to upgrade kitchen facilities and lighting. “The insurance policy will be changing next year,” Wares wrote in an e-mail to the Journal. “Student groups will no longer be able to hold events off-campus unless they pay a fee of $500 for insurance.
“It is imperative that as a licensed establishment on campus that we provide an appetizing option for student groups to use so they can avoid paying insurance for events held off campus,” Wares wrote.
“Working with the [Food and Beverage Officer] John McDiarmid, we decided that capital allocations would be the best way to go about receiving this money.”
Alfie’s ceased all regular operations earlier this year due to dwindling attendance and financial woes.
Other significant allocations include $57,600 towards the construction of the proposed Tea Room food service in the new Integrated Learning Centre, $8,546 towards the installation of a fully accessible unisex washroom in the JDUC, $8,400 towards a new projector for the ASUS Movie Theatre, $7,321 towards new furniture in the Common Ground and $5,983 to Queen’s First Aid to purchase new supplies and equipment.
The Rehab Society and the Ban Righ Centre were also allocated funds.
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