Financial Officer: Alicia James (alicia.james@stanford.edu)
Amount Petitioned: $34,555
Full Budget

What is the mission and purpose of your student group?

The mission of the Black Student Union is to serve the Stanford
community by providing initiatives meant to bring elements of
African/African-American culture to Stanford University.  The
Black Student Union pledges to uphold the values of commitment,
dependability, vision, organization, and responsibility when
executing its mission.

Why are you requesting Special Fees?

The Black Student Union is requesting special fees because such
funds are needed in order to continue to provide the Stanford
community with high quality services and programs.  The Stanford
student body is comprised of a diverse group of students from
different various different backgrounds and ethnicities.  The
funds provided by special fees to the Black Student Union will
help us to continue sharing with this diverse group programming
meant to help students explore and learn about
African/African-American culture.

What are the three largest line item requests in your budget and why?

The three largest line item requests in the budget for the Black
Student Union for the 2004 / 2005 academic year include
Honorarium, Meeting Food/Refreshments, and Facilities Rental. 
The latter two line items deal with expenditures that are
significant for the majority of the programs that the Black
Student Union hosts.  The BSU attempts to create an inviting and
comfortable atmosphere for those who attend its events by
securing adequate space in which programs can be held and
refreshments for people to enjoy during those events.  For a
number of larger programs such as the BSU?s annual Kwanzaa
celebration and Soul Food Dinner event, special cuisine is
requested in an attempt to expose attendees to food not often
found in Stanford dining halls.  The Honorarium line item also
represents a large expenditure because the BSU feels that an
important part of fulfilling its mission includes sponsoring
programming with speakers and other figures who can bring varying
perspectives to campus.   By hosting programming with such
speakers, the Black Student Union hopes to help enrich the
experience of members of the Stanford community.

If you applied for Special Fees last year, is there an increase in the
amount you're seeking this year?  If so, why?

Yes, we have added two new events, the Men's and Women's Retreats
open to the Stanford community to be held during spring quarter.