For Summer Garcia, the women's hockey club is more than just entertainment, it's also a way for her to find a sense of community on campus.
Garcia's sense of community was almost taken away from her during the Student Government (SG) Senate meeting on February 20th.
The women's hockey club was one of more than 60 clubs deemed nearly ineligible for funding. The Senate had voted against funding for sports clubs an hour earlier, then approved it in a second vote.
Related: USF Women's Hockey Club launches after nearly 30 years since the men's team
The original judgment arose based on the following interpretation. SG Clause 801.4.1 in financial law.
Student organizations receiving Activities and Services (A&S) funding cannot be denied access to USF students. A&S fees are paid by the student and distributed by SG.
The Senate interpreted language in the bylaws of these clubs to limit membership to students on the Tampa campus and exclude the St. Pete and Sarasota campuses.
Typically, issues must be notified within 24 hours before they can be placed on the Senate agenda. However, Senate President Faria Assari said in an email that the exception was made because the matter is “sensitive and affects many organizations outside of Singapore.”
“Student Government strives to be the voice of the student body, and we are extremely proud of the decisions we have made,” she wrote. “We look forward to continuing to advocate for our students and support their efforts moving forward.”
Garcia, an out-of-state student from Baltimore, said he would feel lost without the club.
“I don’t feel like I belong here,” she said before voting again. “I feel like I don't have a place to belong.”
Women's Hockey Club Vice-President Paige Lahrer said cutting funding while the club was still in its infancy would be devastating to the club. The club, which was founded a little more than a year ago, uses the funds to pay its coaching staff and practice time at its ice rink.
Practical time can total up to $17,000 per semester.
She said she understood the original ruling but wished the club had been given more time to consider how to deal with the matter.
Executive Chair Megan O'Reilly and other student sports club councilors played a pivotal role in helping to bring this issue to the Senate.
Megan O'Reilly, executive chair of the Student Athletic Club Council, was one of more than 200 people who attended the Senate meeting, which lasted more than five hours. The Senate's decision after the re-vote was a “lifting of the weight off our shoulders”. She said she is grateful there is still a place for students to make connections.
“We just came together to make sure everything was the right outcome,” O'Reilly said in a phone interview after the recount.
Mr O'Reilly said the re-vote provides an opportunity for students to become more involved in SG before taking on leadership roles.
“there are a lot of [people], including myself, until I become a member of the Executive Council or Funding Council. I didn’t know anything about it,” she said.
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Murray Alfred, the men's rugby team coach, also served as president of the club when he was a student. He said the club uses the funds for things like travel to tournaments and equipment. He said the prospect of funding for the club being cut off was upsetting.
“At the end of the day, they are still students and part of the university,” he said. “And I think if there's money that can be donated to help them, that should always be the priority. It's to help the students.”
Men's Rugby Club Chairman Derrick Leatham is in his third year with the team. Mr. Leatham attended the Senate meeting along with other members of Congress.
He described it as a “horrifying experience” as he and other members were not informed about which clubs would not receive funds.
“I'm glad It means that our sports club was actually able to sign a contract,” he said.
So was Leatham. Hilarious The family that his team and other sports clubs have created will continue to exist.
“All the clubs are pretty tight-knit and have a great community… so it’s really great to see that,” Leatham said.
Additional reporting by Mayank Gauchwal
