While the strict Student Assembly Finance Committee guidelines intend to impart fairness in the distribution of funding to student groups, these rigid rules have instead prevented certain groups from fulfilling their mission. Such is the case with Sexual Awareness for Everyone, a student group that works to educate students on sexual health topics and promote safe sex practices.

In order to fulfill their goal, SAFE requested funding for condoms, lube and dental dams to distribute free of cost to the Cornell community. A clause in the guidelines prohibited the group from receiving funds. It is clear that the SAFC needs to revisit its guidelines so as not to thwart worthwhile causes due to bureaucratic practices.

When requesting funding from the SAFC, student groups apply for items crucial to their purpose. SAFE requested funding for items that they, and we, believe are critical to their survival. The SAFC, however, concluded that these items violated a clause that prohibits funding for items purchased for personalized use or for publicity purposes. The SAFC only funded the purchasing of 30 condoms to be used in demonstrations, alongside funding for other less-critical requests.

Indeed, sexual health is a personal matter and condoms are used individually. Yet SAFE works to educate the entire community about sexual health and the distribution of free condoms is the means by which to do so. One way to promote safe sex practices is to provide the means to have safe sex.

Although Gannett currently has a sexual health program that parallels the goals of SAFE, its Safety ZONE program did not recruit new volunteers for the 2009-2010 school year due to a reorganization of the department. In the future, SAFE may take on additional responsibility and play a larger role in educating students on sexual health. It is critical, therefore, that SAFE and similar organizations are empowered to provide such services.

By denying SAFE funding for distributed items, the SAFC is restricting what the group set out to do in the first place. Recently, leaders within the SAFC have recognized that sexual health education deserves funding, despite the abysmal outcome of the Committee’s vote. Some on the SAFC have concluded that in the future, the Student Assembly could establish a separate fund dedicated for sexual health supplies.

We hope that the S.A. and SAFC do not get caught up in legislative mire in crafting this so-called alternate fund. The S.A. and SAFC would be well-advised to act quickly to reevaluate and rewrite guidelines, as to effectively enable atypical requests from student groups. We hope that the SAFC can either correct its existing guidelines or allow leeway in future decisions to assist groups with uncommon — but necessary — requests.