The Student Assembly Finance Commission (SAFC) claims to fund over 350 student organizations that are registered at Cornell University. Sexual Awareness for Everyone (SAFE) is one such organization that turns to the SAFC for financial support in order to be able to continue serving the Cornell community. For the last twelve years, SAFE has worked to raise awareness, especially about HIV/AIDS and other STIs, and promote safe sex practices through a variety of workshops and events on and around the Cornell campus. One of the most crucial aspects of SAFE is the regular distribution of condoms & safe sex supplies (e.g. dental dams) on campus and in Collegetown bars. During our entire involvement in SAFE while at Cornell, the SAFC has refused to fund these items on the basis that they are â"perishable." With regard to durable goods, the SAFC states that it "funds consumer goods that are typically used repeatedly over a period of years and are able to exist without significant deterioration or are necessary for a group's purpose." Understanding that condoms have a shelf life of several years, we believe that the SAFC should fund these much-needed (and relatively inexpensive) goods since they are essential to our organization's activities. After our petition last year along with several other clubs' concerns, the SAFC added the clause "necessary for a group's purpose." However, they argue that safe sex supplies are not necessary for our "group's survival", although all of our programing is based upon these supplies. In addition, they believe that these items are EASILY accessible at Gannett Health Services and Planned Parenthood without taking into consideration that not all students have access to transportation to Planned Parenthood or feel comfortable walking into Gannett to obtain the limited 2 free condoms (per visit, implying that they must be patients at that time). Furthermore, Gannett does not provide free supplies outside of condoms, we feel ignoring certain needs of particular portions of the student population. We urge the SAFC to reconsider their decision and realize that it is in the interest of the entire Cornell community to encourage, rather than hinder, the use of prophylactics.

Sponsor