On January 6, the Finance Committee of Stockton’s Student Senate talked with representatives from the Indian Student Association and the Queer and Trans People of Color Society to discuss funding for the clubs’ next endeavors. Chairman Kaden Ryan and his committee met with the ISA first at 4:30 p.m. in room G-103 to discuss the ISA’s proposed spring formal.

The March 2 event will last from 6-10 p.m. and is suspected to cost the ISA an estimated $2,142. The Finance Committee’s fund would go towards the function’s food, as the club will be handling the decorations and cost of photos. The ISA will be the sole proprietor of the spring formal and plans to advertise through “flyers, Instagram posts, the LEDs outside campus, and the TVs inside.” About 100 people are expected to be in attendance, and after the success of ISA’s Garba event back in October, it is suspected the formal will do just as well. The dance will be “open to all students,” and while the ISA is not fundraising at the present time, they plan to do a DARE board in the near future to generate some revenue. After deliberating outside, the Finance Committee decided to approve the ISA’s $1,490 request and hopes for another triumphant night of cultural celebration.

The President of the QTPOCS, Mo Keane, then approached the committee to discuss the potential funding that would allow a black, queer, and trans artist from Philadelphia to host workshops on black and queer identity. This virtual event on the Gather Town service would be held by QTPOCS with assistance from Stockton’s Pride Alliance and any other interested clubs, and the heart of the event would be poetry: both how it is made and what it means to someone’s identity. Keane plans to advertise through the Multicultural Center, and though it is expected for any and all participating clubs to chip in, the Finance Committee’s portion would help in providing the $2,500 in artist funds. When asked by the committee, Keane said they chose this artist for the club’s event because “he is very open and honest about his experiences as a black trans man,” and during Black History Month, Keane and their club “especially wanted to highlight black and queer artists.” The Finance Committee approved the QTPOCS’ request of $1,499 and wished Keane the best for their event.

The Student Senate will have their next public meeting in the Michael Jacobson Board of Trustees Room at 4:30 p.m. on February 27 and there the Finance Committee will talk about these latest actions. To learn more about the ISA and any of their future events, keep an eye out for their Instagram, @isastockton, and visit their OspreyHub. To learn more about the QTPOCS and any of their future events, be sure to visit their Instagram, @stockton.qtpocs, and visit their OspreyHub.