Leaders of 32 groups still appealing spring funding recommendations expressed disappointment at the tentative $58,000 allocated Wednesday to A&O Productions, which left about $19,000 for other groups.
The vote to approve the additional funding will be reconsidered at Wednesday’s meeting.
Although the Student Activities Funding Board originally recommended giving A&O about $185,000, the group asked for more to fund an additional concert, possibly featuring Lenny Kravitz, Busta Rhymes or Blink 182, said A&O Chairwoman Molly Allen.
“We research people in (the right) price range,” said Allen, a Speech senior. “While we can never promise students a particular group, we can promise them that caliber (of group).”
But Niteskool Productions co-producer Katie Gavula said Niteskool would not exist next year if it doesn’t win its appeal for $10,000 more.
Allen said groups that lose SAFB funding might have to “think out of the box” this year, but “I do not believe groups will cease to exist.”
SAFB funds groups according to merit and clearly defines it, Allen said.
“Obviously, if one student is interested in a group, it has merit,” she said. “Merit is in its existence. But according to SAFB guidelines, it is attendance and successful management of contracts and funds.”
Morris Liao, participant coordinator for Alternative Spring Break, said the best way to reach the majority of students is to provide diverse programming with events sponsored by a variety of groups.
“The more student groups that are funded, the more opportunity we have to reach every student at NU,” said Liao, a Weinberg senior.
Chavis Richardson, president of For Members Only, said he had expected Senate to “get more stingy” as the funding pool got smaller.
“Now (student groups) have to make a better case for their events,” he said.
Genevieve Maricle, president of Students for Environmental and Ecological Development, said she is disappointed about the small funds but happy that senators voted for what they thought their constituents wanted.
“A large number of people in the dorms are going to be for a large-scale A&O event,” she said. “Senate did what the campus wanted them to do.
“It was sort of to be expected in some ways. Being there (Wednesday) night and seeing A&O asking for money, they made some really good points and it’s true that, campuswide, people attend A&O events more than any other.”
But Niteskool’s Gavula said that if constituents knew what events were denied funding to make room for A&O, they might feel differently.
“Part of the problem was a lot of senators were getting up and saying, ‘My opinions aside, my constituents have come up to me and said they wanted to support A&O,'” said Gavula, a Speech senior. “Hopefully they’ll go back and give their constituents a chance.”
The groups should be able to agree on a distribution of funds that can best suit the entire campus, Gavula said, something that A&O has not done.
“(Compromise) is kind of part of this whole game,” Maricle said. “(But) is it worth sacrificing Women’s Coalition, SEED, FMO and BGALA for a three-hour concert?”
A small portion of A&O’s budget would mean a lot to other student groups, said Northwestern Community Development Corps co-Chairman Evan Ransom.
“Ten thousand dollars doesn’t mean that much to A&O, but to us, it’s our entire programming budget,” said Ransom, a Weinberg senior.
A&O should have to wait until all other student groups appeal their funds before they have the chance to take a huge portion out of the pool, Ransom said.
