To the Editor:
I remain unconvinced by the justifications that the Undergraduate Council of Students has provided in its statement ("UCS: Vote ‘yea' to UCS-UFB role amendment," Feb. 9) urging students to vote in favor of the constitutional amendment that would allow it to have control over its own funding. First, the statement cites statistics that contrast the funding situation of UCS to equivalent organizations at other Ivy League universities. However, I am not sure that this comparison is the pertinent one to make. Brown students have insufficient knowledge about the responsibilities and scope of student governments at those universities to verify UCS's contention that it is underfunded. What I am more interested in is how the $3,500 allocated to the UCS for the 2011-12 academic year stands in relation to what other student groups at Brown have received. I consider this piece of information to be more relevant, as it can serve to clarify if UCS is truly underfunded vis-a-vis other student groups.
In addition, the statement insinuates that the Undergraduate Finance Board is denying UCS its rightful share of funds as a result of internal politics. This is a serious allegation, and I am disappointed by the lack of a response from UFB — through its own choice or otherwise — within the same issue of The Herald on this matter, before the poll on MyCourses opened. Some students may have already voted based on just UCS's account of the situation. I believe this issue deserves a more thorough debate than what is represented in the statement released by UCS.
Jonathan Kang '12
