Associated Student Government Senate Speaker Jesse Garfinkel had one unusual word to describe B-status group funding Wednesday: smooth.
“Funding went smoothly, and I’d like to think that was the executive committee’s ability to meet with student groups and get reasoning before the meeting,” the Weinberg sophomore said.
Though senators were bracing themselves for a long meeting – last year, senators debated one funding motion for about an hour and a half – the funding session lasted only about 20 minutes. Most of the meeting was dedicated to two bills.
Senators approved the executive committee’s recommendations unchanged, with only one failed motion to add $100 to Brown Sugar’s account.
Dance Marathon received the most funding, with $2,000 for additional lighting – still far from the $31,000 the group requested .
Most of the 42 other groups received between $250 and $1,000 to purchase items and put on events.
Senators proposed to add funding to Brown Sugar after it failed to meet ASG protocol for submitting funding requests. The motion to give the group $100 failed, with 77 percent of senators voting to keep the committee’s recommendations.
This was the second annual funding for B-status groups, which are usually less established and receive less funding than A-status groups. The latter are funded in excess of $1 million by the Student Activities Finance Board in the spring.
A total of $98,027 was requested by 42 B-status groups, and the recommendations total $21,420.80.
Once funding was finalized, senators debated two proposed bills.
Members of the Rainbow Alliance’s Gender Protection Initiative presented a bill to have the ASG executive board to lobby the administration to change NU’s current non-discrimination policy to include gender identity and expression. The bill passed with 80 percent of the votes.
Much of the debate centered on the logistics and legal implications of the initiative’s proposals, such as including gender-neutral on-campus residences and restrooms.
Rainbow Alliance Co-President Kelsey Pacha said it was more important to focus on the student impact the bill would bring.
“This is about having more students changing the policy,” the SESP senior said.
The other bill proposed Wednesday night, concerning group executive accountability during the funding process, was tabled and might be revived at a later meeting.
For more in-depth coverage about Wednesday’s Associated Student Government meeting, check out The Daily’s ASG blog at www.dailynorthwestern.com.
Paul Takahashi contributed to this report.
