After some contentious moments during a funding session for A-status groups Wednesday night, Northwestern College Feminists were awarded additional money only to have much of it cut minutes later after allegations of financial misconduct.
The Senate initially awarded College Feminists $2,643 more than what the Student Appropriations Finance Committee recommended to fund a performance of the “The Vagina Monologues.” However, after much debate over College Feminists’ past use of ASG funds, the Senate moved to slash $2,500 from the group’s allocations, leaving it with only $143 to fund the show.
In the past, ASG funded “The Vagina Monologues,” but College Feminists were unable to secure the money for a performance this academic year.
Lauren Cichock, co-director of College Feminists, implored Senate for the additional funding for next year’s performance, explaining the production this year only occurred because students paid out of pocket for it.
Tori Zuzelo, a board member for the Student Appropriations Finance Committee, said the SAFC did not fund the group’s request initially due to concerns of financial misconduct. Zuzelo, a Weinberg junior, claimed the group ignored ASG regulations that prohibit groups from holding the performances during Reading Period and failed to properly communicate with its account executive.
Zuzelo also challenged the group’s request to hold the performance in a new venue, Pick-Staiger Concert Hall.
She said the group had previously performed successfully in other venues that were free, such as Fisk Hall and McCormick Tribune Center.
“It will give the SAFC time to evaluate what we would like to do with this event, whether it deserves a financial misconduct or not, and it will let the group decide whether or not they even want to apply for it as a loan. So there’s no need for them to get the funding,” she said during the Senate meeting.
Zuzelo’s recommendation stood during the cut round. Senate spent almost half an hour debating the group’s funding between both the add and the cut round.
