As reported in yesterday's Daily, the TCU Senate has approved $230,000 in funding for Tufts Mountain Club (TMC) to build a Trips Cabin. This new project would be an addition to the Loj, a Tufts-owned retreat located in southern New Hampshire. After being denied funding over four months ago by the Senate, the group convinced the senators to approve their proposal, this time by a 20-5 vote. Last September, the Senate received just under $700,000 in compensation for allegedly embezzled student activities funds. After specific investments and allocations, $300,000 remained in a savings account without any specific plans for how it would be spent. While the project will certainly benefit many Tufts students, the means by which the TMC received these funds remains questionable.
We believe this decision challenges the ethical standards promoted by the Senate. With the school year nearing its end and the Senate having adjourned its final meeting, we have reason to question whether lobbyist pressures forced the Senate to spend the remaining funds prematurely.
Originally, the Senate denied TMC's proposal because they felt it was a responsibility of the administration to fund the project, similar to the loan received 10 years ago for the renovation of the Loj. At the same time, the Senate wanted to invest the funds into a project from which the entire Tufts population would benefit. This decision challenges both principles. While an unscientific Senate survey showed that 23 percent of respondents used the Loj, TMC will be the primary occupant of the new development.
Other student organizations hold events and retreats at the Loj, including an annual TCU Senate retreat. As the senators each will benefit from this investment, we also find that the vote establishes an extreme conflict of interest. It is astonishing that the decision was passed regarding such a large sum of money going to a single student group without formal solicitation of student feedback.
If the Senate felt the need to spend the available funds quickly, it could have easily allocated the money to more universal projects that improve campus life as a whole. Since the Senate began accepting proposals, it has received and discussed many possible ways to create a "lasting legacy" at Tufts. While many groups ranging from Mock Trial and WMFO to numerous music and cultural groups had their requests met, the $230,000 is significantly more than other groups received. Improving the campus center, wireless Internet and infrastructure around campus were all considered and dismissed by the Senate, although these changes would affect a greater percentage of the students.
It is understandable that the Senate sees this as an opportunity to attract more of the student body to the retreat as it seeks to provide easier means of transportation to the Loj and lower costs of staying there. As students, though, we would like to see more guaranteed benefits of the Senate's investment. The idea of increased promotion of Trips Cabin and greater accessibility is alluring, but does not assure greater student involvement. TMC may be deserving of an expansion of their New Hampshire retreat, but Senate should have thought more carefully about how it could provide certain communal benefit.
