ASG doled out $186,718 to 22 student groups at its fall funding meeting Wednesday night.

A&O received the largest sum – $73,245 – but the longest debates were over College Republicans, Alternative Student Breaks and Northwestern Community Development Corps.

Associated Student Government gives student groups money through a large funding session in the spring and a supplemental session in the fall. It gives out more than $1 million annually, funded by the $44 quarterly Student Activities Fee undergraduates pay along with tuition.

The Student Activities Finance Board, ASG’s financial arm, gives the Senate recommendations for how much each group should be funded, basing decisions on past fiscal responsibility and success of prior events. Senators have final approval over funding, and they can add or take away money as they debate recommendations. Student groups can present their cases for more funding before the Senate.

College Republicans

College Republicans received no funding. They had requested $8,143 for a winter speaker, but the Senate voted to follow SAFB’s recommendations and not fund the group. Last year, the group received about $2,100 for a speaker during fall funding.

College Republicans senator Will Upton argued that the group had made significant improvements to their events, bringing larger audiences and more campus activism, and should be rewarded. The Weinberg junior said there was a lack of good political speakers on campus and that without adequate funding, a “terrible disservice is being done to the conservative groups on campus.”

In response, SAFB member and Weinberg junior Sebastian Rodriguez said ASG funds on merit rather than cause. He said the group already received close to $5,500 for the same speaker in the spring, and increasing that by 40 percent is unprecedented.

“I am absolutely disgusted with ASG right now,” said College Republicans president Chelsea Thompson, a Weinberg junior, after the meeting. “They were against us because we were bringing a conservative voice to campus.”

Other senators and student group members voiced concerns after the meeting that senators were voting on ideologies.

After the meeting, SAFB chairwoman and Financial Vice President Aneesa Arshad, a SESP senior, and SAFB member and Weinberg senior Cassie Witten, reiterated that SAFB does not fund on cause.

ASB

While fall funding is designed to fund Winter and Spring quarter events, the Senate sidestepped SAFB guidelines and gave ASB $1,500 for its trips at the end of Fall Quarter.

“It was a successful night in our eyes,” ASB co-president Maggie Cerjan, a Music junior, said. “We have always gone into a second round of debate on funding, and we’re lucky that the Senate answered to our needs.”

Arshad spoke against giving ASB the funding, saying it would create a precedent allowing groups to use supplemental funding to fund fall events.

NCDC

The Senate allocated $2,637 to NCDC’s Arts Fest, for which SAFB had recommended no funding. NCDC is planning Arts Fest, a combination of display art, performance art and interactive art, as part of a larger university and community event in April.

“This event isn’t really geared toward students, and the student activities fee is for student programming,” Rodriguez said to the Senate.

SAFB members reminded the Senate that new events such as Arts Fest are generally not funded because it’s uncertain if they’ll be successful. NCDC representatives countered by describing the group’s proven track record with collaborative events, such as their annual Halloween event, Project Pumpkin.

ASG President Jonathan Webber and former NCDC treasurer spoke in support of NCDC.

“This has the opportunity to turn into one of the most important, successful events at NU,” the Weinberg senior said. “The fact that it’s not only open to Northwestern, but others, shouldn’t be something we penalize NCDC for.”

Ultimately, the Senate majority voted to fund NCDC’s Arts Fest, giving NCDC a total of $3,137.

Setting precedent

According to SAFB members Arshad and Witten, this year’s funding cycle differed from previous years in that Executive Board members spoke freely in support of groups.

“Honestly, I was incredibly disappointed in tonight’s funding cycle,” Witten said of her fifth funding cycle. “In comparison to previous funding cycles, it was less rational and less informed.

“In my past dealings with the Senate, Exec Board members feel uncomfortable speaking (in support of certain groups) because they don’t feel like it’s their place. It carries a lot of weight and influence in the room.”

Webber supported NCDC and Executive Vice President Matt Bogusz, a former ASB site leader and a Weinberg junior, spoke for ASB.

“I would rather resign than not be able to speak my opinion on something that matters,” Webber said.

At the end of meeting, the Senate had given away $129 more than they had available. SAFB had suggested they take the money away from Wave Productions’ funds for a drill. After a long debate, the Senate solved the discrepancy quickly by skimming away $64.50 from both ASB and College Feminists. Leaders of the two groups agreed to give up funds for the good of all student groups.

But SAFB’s Witten called the choice to take money away from those two groups “arbitrary” and worried what the consequences would have been with a larger deficit. Arshad also said she was disappointed.

“It’s the lowest of lows of Senate, and their not understanding merit and precedent,” Arshad said. “If they didn’t need it, then why ask for it? Every dollar matters.”

Reach Steph Yiu at [email protected].