LETTERS: Circle K deserves SAC funding

To the Editor: What if this were one of the headlines that you read in tomorrow's newspaper? How would you feel? What would you say? People would be outraged and rise up against the mayor. It is unlikely that this will ever happen, but something similar has happened at the University. At the end of last year, the Student Activities Council deemed Circle K to be too similar to Kite and Key. They decided that because of limited funding, such duplications would not be allowed. It has been said Circle K should merge with Kite and Key because they both do similar service projects such as tutoring. This is absurd. How many underprivileged students are there in West Philadelphia who need tutoring? Not only this, but these clubs tutor different children in conjunction with different programs. In addition, Circle K aids different charity organizations, nationally and internationally, from Kite and Key. It has been an established club for the past 10 years. It's not a club where a few people got together last year and decided to make a club to feed some egos. In fact, the year before Circle K's denial, they were given $1,500 to spend on various expenses. Obviously SAC believed for the past 10 years or so that Circle K deserved a significant amount of funding. Why is it different now that it has become larger than ever with about 90 people coming to the first meeting, and many more showing interest? They say that Circle K costs too much money and ask why community service should cost money? Then they should also ask why Kite and Key receives funding over three times more than what Circle K ever got, even after a funding cut? It seems that a major reason other "similar" community service organizations recieved funding while Circle K did not was because Circle K was one of the last clubs to ask for funding at last year's SAC meeting. They spoke after four hours into the meeting, in a hot room with no food or drink, and suffice it to say that many people were not in a giving mood. Not that these other community organizations should not receive funding, but rather that Circle K has every right to receive funding also. The 90 students in Circle K have the right to be supported by the University to which they pay their tuition and try to serve. Usec Rho College '00