College/Year: Davenport ’02

Hometown: New York City

Major: History

Ames Brown said he has seen it all with the Undergraduate Organizations Funding Committee.

“I’ve seen the UOFC be good and bad while I’ve been here,” Brown said, “and that’s made my time and other organizations’ time be good or bad.”

Brown is the only YCC officer candidate who would serve as a senior. He said his three years at Yale have exposed him to the UOFC in a number of capacities.

“I’ve had a vested interest in it because I’ve run groups,” he said.

Brown points to his role as chair of the Independent Party and member of fraternity Sigma Alpha Epsilon, the Yale Business Forum and, last year, member of the UOFC committee.

Brown said the UOFC must be more accountable to student groups. As UOFC chair, Brown would make all UOFC applications and decisions public knowledge so that organizations applying for money could see what other groups receive.

“It’s unfair if one singing group gets a lot more for photocopying than another,” Brown said. “And that happens all the time.”

Brown would also institute an application review system, so that groups could meet with UOFC committee members for advice before applying.

Brown added that it is important for the UOFC chair to be friendly but firm with the administration so that UOFC funds are not cut.

— Louise Story