It's like taking a geological core sample. When students vote on which campus groups should receive funding through ASSU special fees, they leave behind clues about what's hot and what's not. This year, funding requests ranged from 24 cents (Stanford Project on Nutrition) to $3.75 (Club Sports) per student.
In the early 1970s, as the nation emerged from the Vietnam War and the civil rights movement, traditional campus media sources -- the Daily and radio station KZSU -- and the Legal Counseling Office garnered support. Today, the list leans toward organizations that promote volunteerism and ethnic diversity.
This year, 34 groups applied for special fees. Only four failed to receive approval. For groups that get funding, the money is a godsend. "Without special fees, we'd be out of luck," says Javier Torres, a fifth-year graduating senior and coordinator for Barrio Assistance, whose members tutor and mentor youth in East Palo Alto. About two-thirds of the group's $30,000 annual budget comes from the fees. "It's a very stable source of funding," Torres says. "It has allowed us to grow and thrive."
