Group's $8,525 funding raises questions about SA policy
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Two weeks of phone calls and messages to On-Point officers went unreturned for this story. Attempts to reach the three officers listed in SA paperwork -- president Larry Underwood, vice president Stephany Lloyd and treasurer Amon Brooks -- were unsuccessful.
SA officials defend their funding decision.
“We wouldn’t have given them the $8,000 if their events weren’t worthwhile,” said Sonal Adhikari, SA deputy treasurer and head of the finance committee.
Caldwell said he supported the On-Point request because of the scope of its programming.
“Now, social programs are free to the students -- students are benefitting,” Caldwell said.
But for a group with common goals and ideas, the money set it apart from the pack.
SA vice president Alex Alaniz arranged an Internal Affairs Committee during the fall semester with the hope that it could examine whether any SA groups were unnecessary or disobeying rules for recognized organizations. Although Alaniz wouldn’t say if On-Point was involved in the review, all organizations received the committee’s approval.
“There are a lot of mixed feelings with On-Point,” Alaniz said. “Some people think they’re the greatest thing ever, and some students feel they’re in it for the wrong reasons.”
One party, two fliers
Plans for the On-Point party quickly were finalized April 6, five days after the funding was granted. Before the $8,000 boost, the group had planned to throw a party at the Holmes Student Center. But the money allowed for a bigger locale and a bigger budget.
Students weren’t just hearing about a rec center party through On-Point, though. A different-colored flier the same size advertised an induction party by Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity for the same time and place. Caldwell is an active Alpha Phi Alpha member.
One look inside Caldwell’s SA office proves his dedication to his fraternity. He wears the fraternity shirt, adorns his walls with fraternity memories and places small fraternity mementos on shelves and the corners of his desk.
Caldwell admits the two groups had a joint event, but said the fraternity has many such relationships with a variety of student groups. He denied any connection between his fraternity and On-Point.
“We are not affiliated with one another,” he said. “On-Point is a social organization, and Alpha Phi Alpha is a fraternity. I have friends in that organization, but I have friends in many other organizations.”
Neither flier acknowledged the other group’s existence, and for good reason: The fraternity’s name couldn’t be on the On-Point Entertainment flier because the fraternity is on NIU’s “hot list” -- a list that effectively bans groups that owe NIU money from organizing events.
In a listing the Star obtained from NIU through the Freedom of Information Act, the list -- current through the party weekend -- showed Alpha Phi Alpha as owing money. And, as per university policy, the group wouldn’t be able to hold an event on campus without special approval through the Accounts Receivable office.
“If a name is on the hot list, it can’t be on the flier, even if the main sponsor is not in financial trouble,” said Rick Clark, director of University Programming & Activities. “We consider that one of the privileges of being in the group.”
The fraternity wasn’t involved in the rec center rental, OCR facilities coordinator Dave Lochbaum said. Only one party was arranged that week through the On-Point Entertainment budget number.
But Alpha Phi Alpha was involved in the party, according to the flier and the group’s Web site. Both indicated that the fraternity planned on having a good time at “tha Rec,” although the Web site also failed to mention anything about On-Point. The Alpha Phi Alpha site advertised the party two days after On-Point received its funding.