Now that all the festivities of Family Day are officially over let’s retrace. Although 2,933 people registered, there seemed to be about 1,400 in attendance on Saturday, about 900 fewer than last year, and 1,500 fewer than expected for this year. The Office of Student Development and Orientation’s budget for Family Day was $21,500, but if 1,500 fewer people attended than expected how much did we lose? This is not only an issue for one office, it’s an issue for the entire university.
Yes $21,500. For one day.
That is roughly 71 ACL tickets, 10 stair steppers (for my gym rats), 21 $1,000 scholarships, 176 sink repairs (Fain Hall), 430 parking decals, and more than a year of tuition and fees.
I’m not the only one who was surprised by the cost.
Kaitlynn Watterson, a junior in nursing, said she was astonished when she heard the amount we spent on one day. “I’m saying you’re lying… on what exactly… because I am not seeing it.”
Tanner Sanders, sociology senior, said he wasn’t at all surprised by the budget. “I’m not surprised. I know its run by the Office of Student Development and Orientation. When I worked for Stu. Dev., my department alone had like $8,000, and I was considered the low budget.”
Yet look around campus. There are dozens of sinks that don’t work. Crammed classrooms in Section B hall of Fain. A Starbucks that hasn’t had frap’s in a week. An Einstein bagels that has yet to open two months after the intended opening date, and much, much more. Still, we splurge on one event.
I am in no way saying we need to do away with Family Day. I love the idea of it and everything it is about. I am all about spending money on activities on campus and getting the students involved, because let’s be honest we love excuses for study breaks. But is Family Day something we need to be spending $21,500 on while we only budgeted $7,500 more on Homecoming, a total of $29,000, the event of the year, an event where alumni from around the world to come in and reminisce? Homecoming is a time where not only the students, faculty and staff come together as one, but when they hope the community gets involved.
There are different offices, clubs, and groups that contribute their budgets to Homecoming. But if the school offered more money, just think how big Homecoming could really be. It is an event that could have potential in having thousands of participants.
CLARIFICATION: An earlier version of this story did not report that 2,933 people registered for the event. The Office of Student Development and Orientation does not track actual attendance. Last year, 2,300 people registered. In addition, the budget for Homecoming is actually $7,500 more than the Family Day budget, not $7,500 as originally reported.
