MEF Request for Funding
Explanation of Project
During the winter and fall terms of 1998, I was responsible for the Student Software Development Group (SSDG), an initiative within the Computer Science Club to help students create large, group software projects (more information about the SSDG can be found at http://www.csclub.uwaterloo.ca/clubs/spp). Following the rules of the university's poster policy, I initially advertised this new initiative on the five tackboards owned by MathSoc and the two tackboards owned by the Computer Science Club (University policy states that posters may only be put on tackboards). Although the Federation of Students would not allow me to use their tackboards, the Engineering Society was very accommodating, and I was able to post twenty posters throughout the engineering buildings. Unfortunately, as the day of our first meeting approached, I became increasingly frustrated at the fact that no one in math had seen any of the posters. I had advertised to the maximum extent allowed by the university, yet it was quite clearly insufficient. In frustration, I did what was referred to as an "illegal poster-run" and put up posters on walls, doors, and stairwells throughout the math building. Although most of the posters were torn down within a few hours, the poster run was successful, and we had over 40 students attend our first meeting.
It is quite clear that there is an insufficient number of tackboards within the Math and Computers Building. Academic initiatives such as research talks can't generate enough student interest because no one knows about them. More poster boards are needed, and they need to be placed in more prominent locations, so that interested students can find out about talks and academic groups of interest to them.
In order to solve this problem, I believe that the Math Endowment Fund should purchase more tackboards for the Math and Computers building. Although the SSDG can benefit significantly from having its own tackboards, many other groups are in need of tackboards as well. The Pure Math Club, Business Club, AcSci club, and even the Math Faculty itself regularly need to resort to illegal poster runs in order to advertise talks and other events. In order to provide the most benefit to the academic clubs within the faculty, new poster boards should be administered by MathSoc, so that all clubs may use it. Ideally, there should be at least one poster board in each stairwell, and, if money permits, in many other places as well. This proposal for funding falls under category four since it benefits all academic clubs. And as an additional benefit, these new poster boards will increase awareness of extra-curricular activities on campus in general.
For extra information, I have included a copy of the university's poster policy and an essay I wrote on the topic a year ago. The essay is somewhat dated now and my opinions have changed somewhat since then, but it still contains many relevant facts.
Formal Estimate of Cost
Tackboards typically cost $300 each (with installation costs included). I believe that a minimum of six tackboards are needed, bringing the cost to $1800 although any additional tackboards will be appreciated.