Several members of the 1995 Class Council say they are upset that Class President Tim Rodenberger is encouraging the council to spend "inappropriate" amounts of money this term, such as having a $200 council dinner last Friday at upscale Simon Pearce restaurant in Quechee, Vt.
The council has spent about $4,000 this term, according to Rodenberger, leaving the Council with about $3,000 in its account.
Rodenberger lost a re-election bid to current vice president Alyse Kornfeld '95 in the spring.
A source close to the council said during the campaign Rodenberger approached Kornfeld and warned her that if she won, the council would try to squander all of its remaining funds by the end of the term in an effort to hurt Kornfeld's council.
Even though all class expenditures are voted on by the entire council, the source said Rodenberger has encouraged, and at times, led the effort to recklessly spend money.
Another source close to the council said since Rodenberger lost his re-election bid, the council has been "much more inclined to be generous" with funds.
Rodenberger said he thinks it is "absurd" to blame him for the council's spending.
"Someone has forgotten that I can't act in any unitary way -- I don't have any authoritarian power," he said. "To blame one individual is absurd ... If somebody has a complaint, the criticism should be directed to the council."
Rodenberger also said the council spent more than $3,000 Winter term, and said "a conscious decision to start spending more was made last term for last term."
But Jeremy Katz '95, who is a member of the council, said the "absurd rate" of spending in the past few weeks is a deliberate effort to ensure that "the 1995 Class Council will fail in its senior mission."
Rodenberger said the council will be in fine shape next year, but Kornfeld said she thinks the spending will hamper the council.
In July, the Council will receive $8,000 from the College. The $8,000 that Rodenberger lobbied for Fall term is a $2,000 increase from last year.
Senior Class President Dan Garodnick said class councils need most of their funds for senior year events -- like senior cocktails and programming for senior week.
He said the 1994 Council has spent about $4,500 on "senior 'tails" and other functions, but still has more than $9,000 left for senior week. The leftover money will go into a fund for the class to use after graduation.
Garodnick said the 1995 Class Council's funds are "barely enough."
"They will need to be very careful in what they do during the year in order that they not cripple themselves for Senior Week," he said.
On Green Key weekend, the 1995 Class Council paid about $350 for sumo wrestling on the Green, $350 for the gyroscope on the Green, $350 for a karaoke machine at the Green Key formal and $800 to help sponsor an Asgard dance.
Candace Howell '95, who is the council's treasurer, said she does not think the spending has been reckless or malicious. She said much of the spending was decided on last term.
Rodenberger said if he was attempting to waste money, there would not be the high-level of programming that there has been.
"We could easily come up with ways to squander money and we're not doing that," he said. "I've had two very good years as class president. I wouldn't want to do something in my last term to ruin it."
Simon Pearce
After the election last month, Rodenberger said he suggested taking the council out to dinner to thank members for three years of hard work. Rodenberger said "six or seven" class council members attended.
He sent Kornfeld an electronic mail message the night he lost the election, saying he was thinking about planning a dinner and asking her not to come because he thought it would be awkward.
Kornfeld said she did not respond because she assumed the matter would be discussed in detail at a council meeting. Rodenberger said he assumed the lack of response meant Kornfeld accepted his proposal, and planned the evening over electronic mail without her input.
When Kornfeld eventually heard about formal plans for the dinner, she talked to Rodenberger and Rodenberger invited her to come and had the council vote on the dinner over BlitzMail. The council decided to support the proposal.
Kornfeld later sent out an electronic mail message saying class funds should not be used for dinners.
"I agree that we all deserve recognition for our work, but ultimately I feel that this is an inappropriate use of class funds," she wrote. "I will therefore not be attending the dinner."
Incoming Class Vice President Hosea Harvey also declined to attend the dinner.
"Alyse and I did not attend because we did not feel that it was an expense that our peers in the Class of 1995 would support," Harvey said. "However, I do agree that the council has done good work and should be rewarded for its work."
But Rodenberger said he did not think Simon Pearce was "too expensive," because other campus organizations spend large sums of money on banquets.
Garodnick, who has led the class for four years, said the 1994 Class has never "had a celebration on behalf of itself." Next week, Garodnick said he was going to cook dinner for the senior class council, at a cost of about $60.
