Presidents of organizations outside of the colleges claim that the annual $12,000 budget allocated for the campus's 113 organizations is inadequate, and the lowest of any organization budget in the Ivy League. Harvard's organizations are funded by the Undergraduate Council, which maintains an annual budget of $60,000.
In addition, organization presidents complain that no centrally located office space exists for student organizations. "While we know that the residential colleges are the single most important aspect of college life, the university has refused to recognize the value of the campus-wide activities not affiliated with the college system," says one student leader who asks not to be identified.
Organization leaders have repeatedly made "formal and informal" requests for additional funding, the student says, but Giamatti has either refused to address the issue or claimed that there was adequate funding in the residential colleges.
Recently, Giamatti clashed with student leaders over the Ivy Group Student Government Conference in February. Although the conference unanimously passed a resolution urging Yale to provide more money to student organizations, Giamatti refused to discuss the matter.
If the battle between Giamatti and some student leaders is heated, however, it is by no means lost. The YCC is looking into the possibility of starting a course evaluation guide similar to the CUE guide here, Steve Neuwirth, current YCC president says. In addition, the Yale Corporation will vote this month on whether or not to have students sit on the board in an advisory capacity.
At this time of year, however, many students are more interested in grabbing a quick beer before finals than arguing about campus politics. Last weekend, at a corner table in Jonathan Edwards dining hall, Suzanne Ingram checked over a food list for the "existentialist" party she was planning in honor of the conclusion of spring classes. At the next table over, a representative of the residential college was attempting to sell tickets to the Moth Ball, a recently established J.E. rite in which students dance away their academic blues. Three blocks away, Andee Hochman, editor of the Yale Daily News, walked into the corner liquor store to place a final order for tonight's bash. "What's a party without ice?" she said.
With three days until reading period and only a week until exams, the only thing about Yale that appears Ivy League is its buildings. Students who less than a week ago were frantically scurrying to do last minute papers and meet "extended extensions" were now playing football and listening to the Whiffenpoofs, one of Yale's many a capella singing groups. People carefully avoided mentioning exams and blue books.
In spite of some problems with their controversial president, many Yalies seem to love their school. Although the first to admit that Yale's reputation for being a grind has validity, they unabashedly assert that the education is tops. "What distinguishes Yale from a place like Harvard is that we work harder," says one freshman.
If students at Harvard are pretentious about their status and students at Dartmouth are pretentious about their drinking, students at Yale are pretentious about their academics. Yalies, who take four more courses in order to graduate than students at any other Ivy League university, will eagerly tell you about the Directed Studies program for which Yale is academically reknowned. Students in the program--referred to by some of its participants as "Directed Suicide"--write a paper a week in addition to maintaining a heavy course load.
Students also boast of the unusual attention undergraduates receive from faculty members. Close to 100 percent of Yale's senior faculty reach undergraduates.
Says Perdo, proud of her school despite edmpaints about its president. "I wouldn't go anywhere else."