WBRS, BTV and he Archon are committed to serving the Brandeis community. We recognize the flaws in the current SAF structure and want to see responsible reforms which make more money available to chartered clubs. The SAF reforms proposed by the Student Union, however, do not do nearly enough to remedy the key flaws in the current system. As our school has grown, our organizations have strived to use our resources to improve social life on the Brandeis campus. Using money from the SAF, WBRS deejays, co-sponsors events and organizes free concerts. BTV uses its portion of the SAF to provide the campus with access to recent Academy Award-winning blockbusters such as Brokeback Mountain and King Kong. The Archon gives a yearbook to graduating seniors. These services are provided without an additional charge in order to enhance the overall social atmosphere at Brandeis.

The centerpiece of the Union proposal is an increase in funding for all chartered clubs. The proposed system, however, would merely provide the Finance Board with increased funds. Because the Finance Board operates independently of the Senate, the chartered clubs are not assured an increase in their funding despite repeated Union guarantees. Giving more money to the F-Board does not mean that the F-Board will change the way it distributes money. The Union proposal merely places new stresses on an already overwhelmed system. While WBRS, BTV and the Archon support SAF reform in principle, we believe it must go beyond simply cutting the budgets of secured groups and increasing the burden on the F-Board.

Public debate is crucial to the democratic process. While Union officials have made initial efforts to keep secured groups informed and to seek their input and concerns, the Union constructed the majority of the amendment without consulting us. More importantly, the amendment was constructed with no time allotted for public comments; public forums were only held once the amendment was fully formed. This amendment, if passed, will have a far-reaching impact on the student body and yet the student body was not consulted. We cannot support this lack of transparency.

At WBRS, BTV and the Archon we are all students, we are all active members of chartered clubs and we are all a part of the Brandeis community. We want to see chartered clubs get what they need not simply to function, but to succeed. At the same time, we cannot support an amendment that does not address the roots of the problem. But regardless of the outcome of this vote, we are, and will remain, committed to serving the Brandeis community.

Craghead, Gedalius and Schnitzer are presidents of WBRS, the Archon and BTV, respectively. Members of each group's executive boards contributed to this op-ed.

Editor's note: Gedalius is a copy editor of the Justice.