SAC provides funding for all-campus party-type events. If you want to get funding, you don't have to apply too far in advance, since they decide which events to fund on a per-weekend basis. About a week and a half before your party, you should turn in an application (which you can get by e-mailing someone on SAC and asking for one) to the SAC office, which is currently on the second floor of Tarble. You'll probably have to turn in several copies of your application and some sample prop, but they'll give you details when you ask.
Then, you'll have to go to the SAC meeting the week before your party (they'll tell you when it is) and defend your need for funding. This shouldn't be too difficult if the amount of money you request is reasonable. Make it clear that you're not going to buy alcohol; this makes SAC's job easier, so they like it. You will need to justify your assertion that people will come to your party. (We basically just said that people would come to gawk and stay for the dancing, which went over fine.) We got $250 with minimal difficulty. Of that, $100 was for the d.j.s, which was paid to them directly. The rest was for decorations, food, and prop, and we submitted receipts and got a check really easily.
Something to keep in mind in all of this is that other groups like SAC and Rattech may be more organized than we are, but they may not be. People forget to do things, submitted prop samples get lost, e-mails don't get returned -- just be patient and make sure you're on top of everything so that you can push for problems to be fixed.
You will have to prop your event in advance. Make lots of signs, and make them stand out. If you have a Paces party, you will have the advantage that people expect there to be parties in Paces and just show up for them. You can also get an ad or article in the Daily Gazette -- they let us write our own article, which was fun.
By: Chaos Golubitsky '00 -- Last revised: 13 March 2000