The Spirit of Houston Band performs during halftime at the Homecoming game against Tulsa. File Photo/The Daily Cougar
The Spirit of Houston Band, Cheer and Dance requested a one-time allotment of $50,000 from the Student Fees Advisory Committee in addition to its base budget of $211,400. SFAC granted the band only $25,000 of its one-time request because of its lack of detail as to what will be done with the funds, according to a statement in the FY14 SFAC recommendations released Wednesday.
The recommendations shows that the extra funds will support cheer and dance.
“(Our request) was thought of as ‘If there’s this possibility, we are always looking for support, and specifically, our cheer and dance need a little bit more,’” said David Bertman, director of bands.
Until now, the funding for cheer and dance has come from the overall band budget and that money has always run short to some degree, Bertman said.
“(The request) was almost a ‘cost of living’ we haven’t addressed,” Bertman said.
In the past, cheerleaders and dancers have paid for their own practice gear, including shoes specially designed for the sport camp, the required course and traveling expenses. Bertman hopes the money can support cheer and dance in those areas.
The one-time allotment is meant to alleviate pressure from the budget and to expand the cheer and dance arenas. Bertman said the funding should allow the cheerleaders and dancers to travel with the band more often and to represent the University at cheer and dance competitions.
Bertman said he hopes that with the University growing and joining the Big East Conference, the Spirit of Houston Bands, Cheer and Dance can represent the University in all areas — even sending cheer and dance to basketball games and sending the band to more away games.
“We went to SFAC to thank them for the incredible generosity of the past,” Bertman said. “Our request from SFAC was really about maintaining the support.”
Last year, SFAC granted the band a one-time allotment of $135,000 for new band uniforms.
“SFAC is incredibly supportive of the Spirit of Houston Band and Cheer areas, and we are very, very fortunate to have their support,” Bertman said.
The late Bill Moffitt had a group of Houston business people that were called “The Band Dads.” This group raised the money for the new uniforms of the 60’s. Maybe we should revive that group.