New fee council allocates money to its first organizations

Two organizations have applied for and received funding from the new Sustainability Initiatives Fee Council.

The Student Activity Fee Committees created the SIFC last semester to fund organizations with green initiatives as their focus.

The creation of the SIFC came after proponents of an environmentally friendly campus were denied funding to create an Office of Sustainability through the Mandatory Fee Committee.

After its creation, the SIFC was allocated $10,000 for organizations that were focused on green initiatives and that wanted to receive funding through the university.

One of the applicants was Panther Bikes, formerly known as “GSU Bikes.”

They applied in February and requested $5,200 from the SIFC.

According to the application, the organization “promotes a more bike-friendly campus through education, community and advocacy. We seek to increase bicycle and pedestrian safety around Georgia State University and encourage students to consider using their bicycle, rather than automobile, for transportation.”

Panther Bikes recieved a total of $3,000 from the SIFC

The second organization to apply for funding was the Sustainability Energy Tribe, which asked for $5,380.

“We do a lot of hiking and getting out and make sure our members realize what’s around them and what they actually help because if they are in the city the whole time then they don’t know…what our [organization] is trying to do,” said Julie Smith, one of the two student officers of the Sustainability Energy Tribe.

They recieved a total $7,000 from the SIFC.