The Associated Student Government Senate eliminated a rule on Wednesday that forced ASG to spend at least 2 percent of the student activity fee on Martin Luther King Day events.
The Senate voted 34-21 to eliminate the provision, which the Student Activities Finance Board had sought to remove from its guidelines since the 2 percent rule was implemented in 1997.
ASG had voted to keep the rule in previous years.
Some senators said that in removing the rule, ASG was telling administrators that students do not care about the MLK Day holiday.
“I fail to understand how senators could have voted to eliminate funding for something that many say they think is important with no alternative funding option in mind,” said off-campus Sen. Gwendolyn Kemper, a Weinberg junior, in an e-mail. “How much louder could we shout to the administration that MLK Jr. funding is not a priority of the student body?”
ASG Financial Vice President Ramesh Srinivasan said the 2 percent funding minimum was biased against groups that do not fund MLK Day events.
Student groups often have trouble finishing contracts and getting their first choice of speakers because the funding can only be used in the two weeks surrounding MLK Day, he said.
“It forces student groups to do things they usually don’t do, and it forces the programming to be not as good in general,” said Srinivasan, a Weinberg senior.
He also said eliminating the 2 percent provision wouldn’t end funding for MLK Day events.
“If student groups prioritize (MLK Day) events very high, I guarantee that they would be funded,” he said.
Michael Blake, senator for 1835 Hinman, said MLK Day event funding could not be ensured without the guideline guarantee.
“An injustice occurred tonight,” said Blake, a Medill freshman. “(SAFB has) given no evidence to show this is in their best judgment. Neither have they given an alternative suggestion.”
For Members Only Sen. Nikki Hunter said cutting the provision could hurt ASG’s effort to expand MLK Day into a full academic holiday.
“ASG says we’re supporting Martin Luther King Day, and we want more than three hours off,” said Hunter, a Weinberg freshman. “But by them saying that we’re not going to give money, how are we supporting Martin Luther King Day?”
But North Mid-Quads Hall Sen. Keith Musial said that although he supported MLK Day events, he wanted to make the funds available to student groups who do not traditionally fund MLK Day events.
“It’s not about Martin Luther King – it’s about fairness in funding,” said Musial, a Weinberg freshman.
Tiffany Berry, a former FMO senator, said the funding was available to all groups and that any student group could find a facet of King’s work to explore with an event.
“A Martin Luther King Day event could fit into any group’s goals,” said Berry, a Weinberg sophomore.
Also at the meeting, which ended early, ASG approved its Executive Board Election guidelines and voted A&O Sen. Neil Shah, a Weinberg sophomore, onto the financial vice president selection committee.
