2008 Woodie Awards
Standing Together Stands Alone
Liz Harris
Issue date: 9/29/04 Section: News
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At the end of every semester, each club on campus submits an estimated budget. Student government, including executive board members and the legislature, decides how to allocate funds based on the club's needs. Clubs have the opportunity to challenge student government's monetary decisions, and it is possible for a group to be granted more money.
This semester, Standing Together requested $1300 but was only allotted $350-$950 less than the club asked for. Some of the money that was cut would have been used to conduct a forum on gay marriage.
Julie Grogan-Brown, club treasurer and board member, says, "It's not too big of a deal for the club because we can find ways to handle it. If there's something we really want to do, we can figure it out. We're working on finding other ways to fund the forum, and we're finding other sources that can help us. We're looking to hold the forum before the presidential election."
Grogan-Brown, who handles money and writes check requests, explained a possible reason for the budget cut. During this year's spring semester, the club was allotted $3000- a $2650 difference from this semester. She says, "We didn't do too much with last semester's money, so we're working on fixing that. The cuts are understandable because we had a big budget and didn't put it to use."
Standing Together, however, has lined up an array of activities for this semester. The group is organizing movie nights, and members are in the process of selecting films. Grogan-Brown commented, "It's something people can really learn from and enjoy." The club will also host a tolerance and diversity workshop next semester and will participate in AIDS awareness activities in December.
One of Standing Together's main objectives this semester is to stage The Laramie Project- a play that deals with hate crimes involving Matthew Shepard, a gay college student who was brutally murdered in 1998. The play, directed by Grogan-Brown, Blair Lampe, Elysa Fein, James Gillece, and Dominic Makh, will be performed at the box on November 19 and 20.
The Laramie Project is about a theater company that interviews residents of Laramie, Shepard's hometown in Wyoming. The company questions shopkeepers, teachers, students, bartenders, and anybody in the town affected by Shepard's death. Grogan-Brown explained, "The interviews paint a picture of the town and the incident. The play is like a series of moments, not scenes. Most of the things seen on stage are the result of the interviews. Different characters and