In light of concerns over the funding of Vita Clamantis' pro-life demonstration on April 18, students interviewed by The Dartmouth said they supported the Council of Student Organization's current policy on fund appropriation. COSO funds events regardless of content that "engender discussion among the Dartmouth community," though these events cannot violate Dartmouth's Principle of Community, according to Will Hix '12, a COSO representative for issue-oriented organizations.
Issue-oriented organizations navigate the same application process as other student groups to receive COSO funding, Hix said.
"We don't make decisions about what people should say," Hix said. "[Vita Clamantis] was an organization that came to us in a request for funding that we did not see violating our core principles."
The College charges undergraduates a $78 student activity fee for each term in residence, and these funds are managed by by the Undergraduate Finance Committee, which allocates funds from the student activities budget to COSO, Student Assembly, the Dartmouth Outing Club and other campus organizations, according to Dartmouth's website.
The Vita Clamantis demonstration featured 546 American flags, each representing 100,000 abortions in the United States since the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.
Vita Clamantis president Robert Smith '14 said his discussion with COSO when applying for funding addressed abortion's controversial nature.
"It was a critical discussion and debate about the purpose behind this display, and ultimately as a group they [saw] this was an important thing to fund," he said. "This kind of discussion is needed on campus."
People mainly question the right to free speech when controversial issues are raised, Smith said.
"No one is concerned about others saying things they agree with the whole reason we have the First Amendment is to allow people to say things that could be perceived as offensive," he said.
In response to the Vita Clamantis demonstration, students hung white flags in front of Russell Sage to represent women who received safe and legal access to health care services, according to Deanna Portero '12, an organizer of the demonstration.
Portero said she disagreed with the pro-life demonstration's message, tone and medium but supported students' right to express their opinion, she said. She said that while COSO could have been "more thorough" in the deliberation, she was not present when the discussion was made and does not reject the principle of funding a pro-life display.
David Sterman '12, who is the president of J Street U, a pro-Israel organization recognized and funded by COSO, said he sees the benefit of "vibrant" campus discussion, regardless of whether he agrees with the statement being made.
"Groups can provide a social benefit for the College in terms of providing an institutionalized space for people to express their views and bring people together to discuss those needs," he said.
Richard Asala '13, a COSO representative for cultural organizations, said that COSO funds activities and opportunities that undergraduates could not necessarily receive in their academics.
"That's the value we want to bring to campus," he said.
Sterman said that the campus's "air of apathy" lowers potential for meaningful discussion, which is "very important" for Dartmouth.
Portero said political discussions and expression are "fundamental" to the development of leadership qualities that Dartmouth must foster in its students.
COSO received messages from students concerned about the approval of Vita Clamantis funding, Hix said. COSO sent email responses to those who expressed concerns that said the organization recognized the display as "a potentially contentious and polarizing issue" but advocated for inclusion of "all voices within the Dartmouth community."
"It opened up people's eyes to the nature of the events we fund as an organization," he said.
Hix compared giving Vita Clamantis COSO money to funding an event for an organization affiliated with a political party, which receive funding on a "frequent basis," he said.
COSO reviews between 10 and 20 budget proposals each week from organizations that seek funding, Asala said.
Groups are denied funding if they lacke well thought-out proposals or the amount of money requested does not bring sufficient benefit to the student body, Asala said.
"Our philosophy is that we want to bring value to campus," Asala said. "To say the feelings of individuals on the board in one way or another determine who we recognize is not valid."
Portero said allowing students to opt out of the required student activities fees would be "more meaningful." Harvard University and Yale University allow students to waive student activities fees by request.
Harvard's Undergraduate Council adds $75 to students termly bills that supports activities run by the Undergraduate Council, according to this year's UC Fee Handbook for Students. Students can opt out of this fee if they submit a waiver request, and the UC will honor each request, according to the handbook.
Yale raised its optional student activities fee to $75 in 2010, the Yale Daily News reported. The fee covers club sports teams, Yale College Council events and programs funded by the university's Undergraduate Organizations Funding Committee, according to the Yale Daily News.
Several of Dartmouth's peer institutions also charge undergraduates required activities fees.
Columbia University charges $651 per term, which supports student activities and provides access to the university's fitness and student centers.
Brown University raised its student activities fee by $36 to $214 for the coming academic year, The Brown Daily Herald reported.
Cornell University charges $114 for "undergraduate student activity" per semester, according to the Office of the Bursar, which handles all of Cornell's billing. About 37 percent of the fee is allocated to the Student Assembly Finance Commission, The Cornell Daily Sun reported in 2008.
