Senate leaves $31,500 for fall

Only 2 of 7 groups receive requested funds in final funding round of spring

By Erin Stock

The Daily Northwestern

Associated Student Government handed out about $1,300 more from the remaining Student Activities Fee pool at Wednesday night’s Senate meeting in the final round of spring funding, mirroring last week’s slim funding additions.

Zaid Pardesi, ASG’s financial vice president, called Senate’s conservative allocations “responsible.” The funds that Senate decided not to dole out this spring — $31,497 — will be available in the fall funding cycle, up for grabs to A-status groups.

“You can go home feeling proud,” Pardesi, a McCormick junior, told senators.

But some student groups left Senate without funding they said could be necessary to keep up the quality of their programming. Seven groups appealed for more funds, but Senate granted the requests of only two.

Ayinde Jean-Baptiste, a writer for The Protest, said the magazine may not be able to put out as many issues next year if it cannot find funds from outside donors.

“The Protest magazine is not only an organ for NOWAR and Students for Economic Justice, it’s an alternative journalistic voice similar to publications like Juice and Blackboard,” said Jean-Baptiste, a Weinberg junior.

Peace Project, an umbrella organization that includes The Protest, requested an additional $819 for printing costs and, when Senate voted down the motion, saw its smaller request denied.

In the longest and most tense debate of the night, supporters said The Protest’s success in increasing page size and distribution merited more funding.

Student Activities Finance Board said the magazine’s failure to print the required “funded by SAFB” label on two of its issues this year hurt them. David Kim, a board member, also emphasized that SAFB recommended an increase in funds this year for the group despite a tight funding cycle.

“In a year where groups that had spectacular years and were given cuts, we gave this group, The Protest, an increase,” said Kim, a Weinberg sophomore. He also said Senate should deny the request to preserve the fall funding pool. “Think about how many groups came up here … and we said, ‘Go to supplemental funding,'” he said.

Northwestern Community Development Corps appealed to Senate to overturn SAFB guidelines forbidding food funding and requested $1,200 for candy for Project Pumpkin. Senate met the appeal, as it has for years.

Katy Schumaker, NCDC co-president, said Senate understands the importance of candy for the event, which brings in children from unsafe neighborhoods for a trick-or-treating experience.

“It’s Halloween, and I just don’t envision any other way we could do the event,” said Schumaker, a Weinberg junior. “No one wants apples or toothbrushes.”

SAFB fought for its recommendation, asking senators to consider other groups.

“You have groups that $1,000 or even $500 is what makes their event, and we’re going to give $1,200 for candy,” said Medill senior Michael Blake, an SAFB member. “Let’s at least be healthy and give granola bars.”

Senate granted only one other request Wednesday — $1,090 to SEED for a speaker.