tl19720922-000 "towerlight Volume XXVII No. 3 Towson State College September 22, 1972 Towson, Maryland 21204 up to $7,000 Thousands may be missing from last year's concert proceeds by Jud Almond Robert Leatherwood, former president of the Class of 1973, charged Tuesday that some of the proceeds from last spring's Guess Who concert are missing. His calculations place the final tally of gate receipts at $3,000 less than he felt he should have. LeatherwoOd's story goes back to last December, when he submitted a voucher to SGA Treasurer Rick Danoff for final payment of the group, whose appearance was sponsored jointly by the Classes of 1973 and 1974. He also asserted that there was not enough money in the SGA's working fund to cover the $5,750 needed to pay the group. Then, Leatherwood continued, Danoff forgot to send the voucher to Annapolis for approval, and did not find it until approached by Leatherwood in April. At this time, Leatherwood said, there was not sufficient time to send to Annapolis for the voucher's approval, so he made the decision to pay the group in cash from the gate receipts. He went on to explain that advance ticket sales were collected from Mrs. Seibold, who runs the box office, and put in the SGA safe. However, the money was not officially receipted into the SGA account. Money put into the SGA account must be deposited in the bank. Leatherwood said that he and his successor, John Hunt, counted the cash in the safe the week before the concert, and were sure that there was more than the $5,750 needed to pay the Guess Who. He went on to say that an additional $1000 was netted at the gate (after payment for food and lighting) which was deposited the next day into the safe. According to Leatherwood, Treasurer Danoff called him the morning of the concert (Sunday) and said he would feel better if the group were paid by check, and that he was able to reach Vice President of Business and Finance Wayne Schelle to sign the check that morning. Danoff had Schelle sign the check, and the group was paid with same. Monday, May 15, according to Leatherwood, he and Hunt counted the money in the SGA safe. He said that there should have been more than $6,750 in cash. However, after counting the money, they found that they had only $3800. Leatherwood says he informed SGA President Jesse Harris and Treasurer Rick Danoff of - the suspected shortage, and they counted the money again. The second count produced the same result-- $3800- considerably less than what Leatherwood expected. Danoff told Towerlight that he cannot remember getting a voucher from Leatherwood last December, since the matter is so long .past. He also maintains that he made it clear to Leatherwood that he could not be responsible for money in the safe that had not been receipted to the SGA. He said that though he knew that it was not proper procedure for Leatherwood to withhold the money from the SGA account, he could not make Leatherwood deposit the money; he kept it in the safe because he felt that it would be the safest place for it. Danoff also maintains that he recommended to Leatherwood all along that the Guess Who be paid by check rather than cash, and that he made it clear to Leatherwood that he could SGA Treasurer Rick Danoff arrange for the check to be in on time. There has been considerable speculation as to what has happened to the missing funds, if there are any funds missing. Rumors that the SGA safe had been left open are currently in circulation, as is the speculation that Someone connected with the concert took the money. SCA President Jesse Harris has suggested that perhaps some money was entered into the SCA books under the wrong account, and plans to bring in an outside auditor to determine this. The Guess Who concert is not the only concert for which there is speculation over missing funds. Unconfirmed stories say that approximately $1200 may be missing from last year's concert by the Association, and Attempt to abolish fees fails in senate � by Mike Dilworth An attempt to abolish the general activities fee in favor of a voluntary fee failed Tuesday as the Student Government Association Senate defeated the measure, eight to five. Introduced by Richard Firestone, the bill called the present $60 a year fee a ""violation of not only student rights, but also basic photo by Erick Hoopes SGA Senate Tuesday saw an attempt to make all student fees voluntary fail. Rick Danoff, John Kipper and other senators look dismayed at the precedings. constitutional rights in our free society."" In theory, the bill said that any activity, organization or publication that cannot support itself on the open market should not be ""maintained coercively at the expense of freedom of choice to students."" In essence, the bill would mean any organization or publication would be funded only by those students who wished to support the action financially. A proponent of the bill, senator Mike Nohe, said the bill would ""remove the disguise"" of where money is going, but it would probably mean the end of student government, classes, Towerlight and other student activities. Nohe said, ""If they want to spend their money elsewhere, why not let them. If organizations can't survive, why should they?"" SGA President Jesse Harris argued that the educational process consisted of more than just classes. Extra-curricular activities and experience in student organizations, he said, were consistent with goals of higher education. Vice President Craig Schloer reiterated Harris' argument, and the measure failed eight to five. A bill passed unanimously to have instructors' names inserted in the course schedule booklet where formerly the words ""staff"" appeared. The measure would, as sponsor George Mattingly said, give students an opportunity to choose course sections in a manner that would coincide with their educational goals. The Academic Council is called on, in the bill, to take the necessary steps to insure that students will know who is teaching a course. Another bill by Mattingly passed, establishing a committee to solicit student opinion on he music piped into the College Center. To report its findings no later than October 10, the committee is set up, Mattingly said, to in no way censure WVTS, but to give students an opportunity to regulate the sound system. Its members include Mattingly, Jack Freeberger, Rick Danoff, John Kipper, Mel Blackburn, Bob Leatherwood and Bill Dean. Mattingly said the sound system was ""designed poorly"" and students had no way to turn it down, up or off. He questioned whether students in the study lounge and other areas wanted the music at all. SGA Senator Bob Leatherwood perhaps other concert funds are unaccounted for. President Harris has implemented a program this year designed to keep such occurrences from happening. Ile has devised a system of checks and balances to keep close tabs on all moneys generated from concerts. Under the Harris system, all concert tickets will be delivered to the SCA office in blocks of 250 and be counted. Mrs. Siebold will sign tor those tickets she takes to be sold at the box office. Only Ilarris, Danoff and Mrs. Pearl Green, SGA bookkeeper. who are all bonded, will be able to receive money from Mrs. Seibold, for which they will sign receipts. The money will be deposited into the SGA safe. After advance sales, Mrs. Seibold will return all unsold tickets, which will be counted to see that she has returned either a ticket or the price of a ticket for each one she has signed out. The tickets will then be turned over to the head of the ananization sponsoring the concert (e.g. the class president) to be put on sale at the door. He will be responsible for returning the proper number of tickets or the price of a ticket for each he does not return, thus accounting for all tickets printed. Several questions have arisen from the controversy. They include such queries as: Is the money really missing or were there miscalculations? If the funds are missing, who is responsible? Is it the class president or official who sponsored the affair? Is it the treasurer, who is accountable for funds? Is it the SCA President, who has ultimate responsibility for SGA operations? These questions, surrounding the possible disappearance of close to $7,000, remain to be answered. Index News 1,5,7,16 Editorials 2 Letters 3 4 Features 8-11 Goings On 12,13 Sports 14,15 "
