The Finance Committee is the branch of the Student Government Association that appropriates funds to student organizations on campus.
Comprised of seven representatives, the committee is headed by Vagelis Perdikouris, commonly known as “V.” In the spring elections, Perdikouris was elected vice president of finance.
This is Perdikouris’ fourth year as a member of the SGA. First he was as a representative and now he is an Executive Board member.
This position of authority has meant personal changes for Vagelis including an increased workload.
“The finance committee has helped me organize my priorities in terms of having a set schedule and focusing more on my classes,” said Perdikouris.
As one of the five members of the Executive Board of Student Government, Perdikouris recognizes the need for hard work and time management.
“Leadership is an important role,” he said. “It has to be taken seriously.”
In addition to the Finance Committee, Perdikouris took on a double major in international business and marketing, to pursue a career in business. He sparked an interest in international business because he was born in Greece and enjoys traveling.
Perdikouris grew up in Massachusetts, where his parents owned Greek restaurants. His parents instilled in him a strong businness ethic.
This background may be helpful in delegating the SGA’s large student fund. The Finance Committee mainly deals with appropriating its $500,000 budget to each of the 34 organizations on campus that are currently chartered by the SGA.
The money comes from part of the student activities fee charged to every undergraduate student.
Each spring during the budgetary process, clubs make budget proposals requesting money for the following year. Included is an explanation of what the money will be used for. The Finance Committee then evaluates the proposal, adjusts it, and hands it to the SGA for a final vote.
When Perdikouris became Finance Committee vice president, he established a liaison system between the committee and the organizations funded by the SGA.
This year, every member of the Finance Committee is assigned four organizations, and they must attend one event per semester. This is meant to ensure that Student Government sees whether the clubs are spending their monies on worthwhile activities.
“The Finance Committee this year is working really hard and putting in a lot of effort to make students’ allocations easier through the liason system,” said Perdikouris
Another goal for the committee is to increase the money allocated for Senior Week from $10,000 up to $20,000. The week before graduation, seniors are provided with numerous events both on and off campus, courtesy of Quinnipiac University.
“I think that ‘V’ has made some important changes this year,” said Tom Hyde, a member of SGA. Student money is being more efficiently spent under his leadership.”
Members of the committee are Tanner Church, Pamela McCarthy, Tom Hyde, Richard Baltimore, Kristin Vidile, Ashlee Bennet and Anthony Chirchiello.
Meetings are held Mondays at 9:15 p.m. in SC 213.