RES, Catalyst apply for blanket tax funds

By Tina Nazerian     1/27/14 6:00pm

Two organizations, the Rice Catalyst and the Rice Environmental Society, have requested a blanket tax for the 2014-2015 academic year, according to Student Center Director Kate Abad. 

Blanket Tax Standing Committee Chair Michael Pan said a blanket tax is money students pay to Rice in order to fund organizations that serve the student body in various aspects. 

Pan, the Student Association treasurer, said organizations that want to apply to be blanket tax organizations need to fill out an application which the committee reviews and recommends to the Student Association Senate. The Senate then discusses and votes to put the recommendation on the general elections ballot by Feb. 3. 

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"As for the existing blanket tax organizations, we just review their current budget and actual spendings to make sure they are spending money in accordance to their missions statement and for the greater good of the student body," Pan, a Will Rice College junior, said. 

 

Rice Environmental Society

RES co-president Alex Nunez-Thompson said the club intends to unify Rice's environmental and sustainability organizations under a common identity.

"While it does not take any power away from any of its member organizations which can request funds, Rice Bikes, the Rice EcoReps, Rice Endowment for Sustainable Energy Technology, Rice Environmental Club, Rice Student Volunteer Program Environmental Committee, Real Food Revolution and the Student Association Environmental Committee, it allows them to act as a unified front for promoting environmentalism on campus," Nunez-Thompson, a Sid Richardson College sophomore, said. 

RES is asking for the same amount of money the Rice Endowment for Sustainable Energy Technology received, RES co-president Michael Donatti said. Last year, RESET lost both its status as a blanket tax organization and its funding from the student body because a clause in its founding documents required it be approved by referendum after three years and it fell short by 13 votes, receiving 65.46% of the votes when it needed 66.67% in the general elections.

"RES has applied for $9 per student, which amounts to over $34,000 per year," Donatti, a Duncan College sophomore, said. "This amount will cover the same types of projects that RESET covered and more."

According to Nunez-Thompson, RESET focused purely on sustainable energy technology, and projects under it needed to have a return on the cost investment, whereas RES projects do not.

"Projects pioneered by groups like Real Food Revolution would never receive funding [under RESET]," Nunez-Thompson said. "The Constitution for RES intentionally allows more groups to apply for funding. We want Rice to be a more environmentally-friendly place, even if this goal is hard to achieve."

According to Donatti, the blanket tax funding will allow RES to sponsor student and club driven sustainability projects, as well as be flexible with students.

"Anyone can apply [to RES] for [funds from 90% of the $34000]," Donatti said. "10% will go directly to the environment under groups, and theoretically, a student can apply though those groups for part of the 10%."

Donatti said because RES has many member organizations, its blanket tax funding will reach a larger audience with more ideas for sustainability. 

"Rice students are passionate and engaged, always eager to innovate in progress," Donatti said. "An RES blanket tax will put Rice's sustainability in our hands more than ever before. It will show our peers that we at Rice are serious about helping the Earth."

Hanszen College sophomore Ben Foust said while he approves funding for well-planned programs, RES should concentrate on doing things differently than previous similar organizations that have lost funding.

"I'm not entirely sure how I feel about blanket taxes in general, as not all those who pay them appreciate or make use of the services they provide," Foust said. "But that is a very complicated issue."

 

Catalyst

Catalyst co-editor-in-chief Amber Mirajkar said the annually published international undergraduate journal, which began in 2008, was built upon the resolution to showcase student research and views about science, medicine and engineering, and welcomes contributions from all majors.

"Catalyst hosts the annual TEDxRiceU, bringing in speakers from all departments in Rice University and the Texas Medical Center," Mirajkar, a Duncan senior, said. "The event is open to Rice students and the Houston community. Two years ago, we even arranged for high school students to attend. [Additionally], Discoveries, our online blog, gives students another vector to practice technical writing, discuss their research and spread their ideas."

According to Catalyst co-editor-in-chief Julia Zhao, people have raised concerns on how Catalyst is specialized to a subset of the population.

"We disagree; many of our articles are what would colloquially be deemed 'popular science,'" Zhao, a Lovett College junior, said. "We tailor a majority of the writing to the average reader, not necessarily those that are scientifically inclined."

Mirajkar said Catalyst initially asked for $2, but agreed to decrease it to $1 after meeting with the committee. The money would cover publication and TEDxRiceU costs, in addition to helping both on and off campus readership grow, she said. 

"The money would [also] cover purchasing special design suites to improve our designing capabilities, advertising on campus to attract more applicants and let the campus know about our events, holding a publication party, holding a retreat, revamping our website and blog, and hopefully, one day having both a spring and fall issue," Mirajkar said.

Mirajkar said Catalyst might not be able to publish this year because of fast filling boba sale slots, and that eliminating the uncertainty of this fundraising method would enable the staff to focus on making the publication longer, as well as a chance to explore other opportunities they have not been able to pursue. 

"We were beat out by other organizations," Mirajkar said. "Now that it is a well-known fact that boba sales are guaranteed to bring a profit, it will continue to be difficult to hold one at the only spot on campus we are allowed, the lobby of the RMC."

Wiess College sophomore Benjamin Laun said he thinks it is unfair for a club to tax the student body, regardless of whether or not it represents student interests.

"$9 isn't a lot of money for me, but there are students for whom, forgive the cliche, every penny counts," Laun said. "If [RES] exists only as a naming formality for existing organizations, then $34,000 seems like an absurd amount. Catalyst, on the other hand, seems worthy of its $1 tax; I'd even pay more. If RES is going to do things that will make a tangible and positive difference in my life as a student, then I'm more than willing to pay it."

Duncan freshman Michelle Won said she thinks each organization has its own reasons for applying for financial support.

"I trust that the organizations have spent a lot of time securing a budget to attain future goals, and I'm happy to support them because I know we all will benefit from what they're doing," Won said.

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