SOFC defends choice about Estacion Libre

While many colleges review and approve student groups through their equivalent of our Office of Student Activities and Facilities, at Duke it is handled by the students of Duke Student Government. The Student Organization Funding Committee chair misspoke during his address to the Senate. DSG cannot and does not attempt to control the right of a group to exist. However, DSG does control access to meeting space, bank accounts handled by OSAF and DSG-managed funding, along with other privileges.

SOFC takes the initial role in the process by meeting with the group both in a small group setting with an OSAF advisor and in a more formal interview with the entire committee. SOFC formulates a recommendation to the Senate about the status of the group based on these meetings and the group's written application. Although the chair only votes in the event of a tie in SOFC, he is obligated to present the majority opinion of the committee to the Senate (where he can vote).

Eleven of the 15 SOFC members heard Estacion Libre's case. By a vote of 9-1-1, the committee held that the group failed to explain why it was distinctive from other groups on campus, despite our inclination to err on the side of recognition. The SOFC chair offered to yield time to the dissenting SOFC member at the Senate hearing; he declined due to a prior engagement. At the hearing, the group's founders were given a chance to present a statement in rebuttal. Senators were allowed to question both the group and SOFC chair about their positions. Ultimately, no senator voted in favor of giving the group recognition, with some abstentions.

SOFC is an ethnically, politically and racially diverse coalition of students committed to serving students. We reject the notion that we were motivated out of racism. Estacion Libre is welcome to exist as an unrecognized group. It is also welcome to reapply to SOFC for recognition. But the group will need to demonstrate coherently and concretely its uniqueness and viability to SOFC and the Senate, something that during its previous interactions with us it failed to do.

Jeff Federspiel

Trinity '07

chair of SOFC

and 14 other SOFC members