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By Delia Herrera

I find it terribly interesting that the Interfraternity Council has argued it is not being treated fairly in the Undergraduate Students Association Council’s budgetary funding process (“Judicial Board rejects IFC’s claim over funding,” Viewpoint, May 24). It seems clear to me that IFC has been expecting and demanding special treatment all along. For some reason, IFC officials believe the rules that apply to everyone else shouldn’t apply to them. While IFC is entitled to a speedy hearing, which USAC failed to ensure, it neglected to address salient concerns regarding the budget.

If IFC wanted more money, why didn’t it spend any of the funds that were allocated to it? Apparently, it has the luxury not to spend its budget “in protest.” If IFC doesn’t need the money, there are plenty of organizations that could use every cent of it.

I don’t know to what extent this was discussed in the Judicial Board’s hearing, but my understanding is that IFC is an organization that collectively represents most of UCLA’s fraternities. As far as I know, fraternities are not open to everyone; that’s why they have “rush” to decide who gets in and who doesn’t. I imagine that most fraternities are not open to women, not that I know any who would want to join one. If that is the case, then I have a serious problem with mandatory student fees going to support the budget of an organization that reserves the right to exclude students from membership.

In contrast, it is my understanding that anyone can join any of the other student organizations that receive base budgets. They may not want to, but they can. I am in no way opposed to IFC being funded to put on programming that is open to everyone, but that can happen through applying to the many funding boards, including USAC contingency, which operate throughout the year. I don’t know if IFC officials are aware of the many sources of funding that exist, but I’m sure their advisor must know.

Another concern of mine is that IFC “taxes” its own members, according to statements in The Bruin, because USAC does not give it an adequate base budget. Does that mean that if IFC received a budget, there would be no membership dues to join a fraternity? I know a friend who went through sorority rush our first year and was forced to drop out because it was so expensive.

She told me that not only did she have to pay dues, but she also had to buy all the T-shirts, pay for mandatory dances and events and was “fined” if she missed a certain number of events or meetings. This is not to say that putting on programs doesn’t cost a lot, but I don’t know of any other type of organization that so obviously excludes low-income students.

One solution is to have scholarships for low-income students who cannot afford to pay the dues required in the Greek system. But if fraternities were concerned about making their organizations accessible to everyone, they would address it through fund-raisers that support the organization as a whole. This way, no one is left out and no one is a “charity case.”

The benefit of such a policy is that the organization no longer values members based on how much money they shell out, but instead on the work they put into the organization. Members grow closer because they depend on and value each other’s involvement, instead of mandating it. For example, many of the student graduations put on by USAC-sponsored groups require that participants volunteer for fund-raising events as an alternative to doubling the charge of the ceremony.

Although IFC excludes low-income and working class students by charging membership dues, it claims that it has a right to mandatory student fees for its base budget. All students pay these fees, including the students who can’t be members due to the exclusive “rush” or an inability to pay the dues. Why should students who cannot be members, even if they want to, pay for the base budget with their fees?

Lack of sufficient funding is not unique to IFC; many other student organizations have been dealing with this for years. In order to stay open to all students, other groups apply to different on-campus funding sources and fundraise to support their various programs. If IFC needs funding to put on educational programs open to all students, they too should apply to these funding sources.

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