At least 21 A-status student groups will petition for extra funds during tonight’s spring funding meeting. Associated Student Government officers said they are preparing for an emotional night.
The Senate will vote on funding recommendations made by the Student Activities Finance Board, adding and subtracting from 45 groups’ allocations. They will also dole out about $40,000 extra into the SAFB’s $771,051 funding pool.
This year, the Office of Student Affairs cut $30,000 from its annual donation to the SAFB. Many groups will probably receive less funding than they deserve for the 2005-06 school year, said ASG Financial Vice President David Kim, who heads SAFB.
“It’s hard, and I understand that it’s hard,” said Kim, a Weinberg junior.
Kim said there seemed to be a misconception that the SAFB had an unlimited amount of money to distribute.
No matter how valid some groups’ requests might be, “in the end of the day, we still don’t have the money,” he said.
To overcome their limited resources and draw crowds, Kim said student groups will need to be creative with their programming.
“All the groups are saying ‘it’s a Catch-22, that we need more money to bring more attendance.’ That’s not true,” Kim said. He added that he has seen $30,000 events draw 50 students, and $1,000 events draw 300.
Last year’s meeting, which lasted five and a half hours, became heated as tempers flared among student leaders, said Speaker of the Senate Dan Broadwell, a Communication junior.
Cursing and personal attacks peppered the evening. Impatient senators tried to hurry through the proceedings, Broadwell said.
“It was a very intense environment,” he said.
Broadwell is compiling a list of groups planning to appeal their recommendations. By making the list ahead of time, he hopes to prevent the Senate from overlooking groups who are unsure of procedure, he said.
Broadwell also said there will be a zero-tolerance policy for profanity.
“That’s something I won’t tolerate,” Broadwell said. “If someone does it, I’ll kick them out.”
Reach Jordan Weissmann
Quick facts:
- 45 different A-status student groups are eligible to receive funding from the Student Activities Fund.
- The SAFB recommends allocations, which may be approved or changed by the Senate.
- ASG has $811,833 to allocate to A-status student groups.
- SAFB gets most of its money from a $120 Student Activities Fee each student pays with tuition.
Source: SAFB Spring Funding Hearings Book, David Kim and Dan Broadwell.
