Last spring, $30,317 remained unspent between various clubs who received funding from the Allocations Board (A-board).The following clubs had the most inordinate amount of unspent allocation money from the A-board: International Club ($3,645), Brandeis Zionist Association ($1,570), Men's Lacrosse ($1,540) and Black Student Organization ($1,374).

"The way the current system works is item by item," Chair of A-board Mark D. Schlangel '05 said. "Just because a club asks for a movie night and that doesn't happen, doesn't mean they couldn't delay it for a month for some reason. We don't know because we can't keep on top of every club. Although we try to oversee them as best we can, we can't parent them."

Only five out of the 60 clubs with over $100 of unspent allocations returned any money.

"Some clubs are considerate to other club's financial needs and return unused monies," Schlangel said. "Once allocated for an item, it's their money, and therefore have the chance to restructure it."

During marathon, which occurs toward the end of each semester, clubs request money from the A-board to help finance certain events. If after marathon a club still needs funding, leaders must file for an appeal before the A-board at a later date with more specific information; hearings occur throughout the academic year.

While appeals are available online, they are organized by week, not per club requests. Schlangel hopes to post club marathon and appeal allocations together online in the near future to better track funding.

Schlangel said clubs can retain their allocations until the last week of each semester, when unspent money is recycled back into the A-board.

Yet once the A-board allocates funding, that money can only be used for one specific purpose - for what a club specifically asked the A- board to help fund. Since there are no longer any pre-approved checks, clubs must often show a receipt to be reimbursed.

According to Mike Chappin '05, founder and president of the Men's Lacrosse Team - which did not spend all of its allocated money last spring - it is unfair for the A-board to deny clubs the freedom of spending their allocations for other legitimate reasons (other than what the money was allocated for).

The A-board gave Chappin's club $1,540 last spring to pay three referees, paint a field, buy new equipment and host a few home games. But with Chappin being abroad and a lack of interest of new students to join, the games never occurred. Chappin said he did not return the allocation to the A-board, since more students may have joined and games may have been rescheduled.

"If we are not having those home games, we should have the ability to at least apply for it to be reallocated," Chappin said. "For $1,540 to be wasted because we couldn't organize a game when we could have put it towards fixed costs that would have benefited us in years to come is ridiculous. The system does not make any sense."

For example, Chappin said he forgot to ask the A-board for money to buy a U.S. Lacrosse Membership, which gives players insurance for games if anybody got injured.

"(The A-board) was not going to give me another $55 for membership when I had $1,540 allocated to use for other things," Chappin said. "Now if I want that U.S. Lacrosse Membership, and I am not playing a game, I can't use that game money on it, even though it's just as legitimate as a game, maybe even more so because it protects people from being injured."

Chappin did not believe the money his club was allocated deprived other clubs of money.

"The unspent money goes back to the A-board at the end of semester," Chappin said. "It does not really hurt other clubs then."

The International Club, the Brandeis Zionist Organization and the Black Student Organization could not be reached for comment.

Danny Silverman '05, Union secretary, received a $10,000 grant from the A-board this year to spend on capital expenditure as allowed by the the Union by-laws when there is unspent allocation money. Silverman purchased six computers for the Romper room in the Shapiro Campus Center.

Another problem facing the A-board is giving clubs too much funding, which could otherwise have been allocated to other needy clubs.

"That is a flaw with our current system," Schlangel said.

A leader of the South Asian Student Association, Ateen Paliwal '04, requested $250 last spring from the A-board to help pay for lights and sound for an event. The A-board only allocated $100.

"More money would have helped us," Paliwal said. "Instead, we had to pay the rest out of our own pockets. That happens all the time. We sponsor Mayla and close to 1,000 people come. We don't get close to enough money from the A-board and it ends up being covered by ticket sales and our own pockets."

Schlangel hopes to change the system by alleviating the problem of leaving unspent money in club funds until the end of each semester. Schlangel hopes that by having meetings with clubs, a new system will be implemented by next term.

While Schlangel has not conducted a formal A-board meeting regarding this issue, he said that one potential idea is to give clubs a grant sum allocation - besides giving clubs money per item, clubs would have money to buy multiple items.

"Right now, me and the rest of A-board are working to create a better system to reform it," Schlangel said. "At the same time, we want to give clubs the freedom to spend their money. We really do want people to respect our guidelines and not be selfish."

Schlangel also does not want to punish clubs who fail to spend a majority of their allocations.

"We don't want to be a board with an iron fist that the whole campus gets mad at because someone who got elected to the international club couldn't have a Pachanga for a certain reason and therefore, there can't be a Pachanga next year (as a punishment for not spending allocated money on the previous one)," Schlangel said.

Not all clubs think the A-board needs improvement, but unlike other clubs, the Culinary Arts Club receives grant allocations without making specific requests.

"The A-board has been very good to us," said Ashley Shaw '04, president of the Culinary Arts Club. "Our club can't always estimate each and every expense down to the dollar or day, so the A-board has given us a grant. This means that we have the freedom to spend as much as we need to when we need it without worrying about having to ask for more money or re-allocations every week."

The Outdoor and Mountaineering Club also receives grant money from the A-board.

"Because they are a club that every week plans their trips, we treat them differently," Schlangel said. "Normally, we can only give money for a specific item. But the (Outdoor and Mountaineering Club) does not have advanced knowledge of their trips. It may be seen as unfair, but their club does not fit into the current way the A-board works."

Outdoor and Mountaineering Club President Jesse Salk '04 said, "Our large membership and responsible use of the money in the past has allowed the Student government to grant us the unique privilege of receiving an up-front lump check with the direction that we provide receipts for what we spent before receiving the following semester's money."

Salk said his club carefully regulates their allocations and expenditures each semester.

"Our treasurer is responsible for the details of the day to day finances ... and monitoring outflow of cash with regard to an approximated semesterly budget plan," Salk said. "The other members of the executive board, however, check these records on a fairly regular basis."

Along with approximately 40 other clubs, the Outdoor and Mountaineering club was able to spend all $7,500 allocated to them last spring.

"With current ideas in mind, hopefully all clubs will be treated like the (Outdoor and Mountaineering Club)," Schlangel said.

Like Schlangel, Salk does not feel clubs should be punished if they are unable to spend all of their allocated money.

"The fact that a club doesn't spend its money isn't necessarily an indication that they aren't active," Salk said. "Financing a group should be based upon need, not exclusively on past spending."

"We want to encourage people to follow the guidelines; it only helps them to work with us," Schlangel said. "Hopefully, together we can all create a better system."

- Michael Corwin '05 contributed to this article.