Due to the sudden shift to remote learning last spring due to COVID-19, many student organizations were forced to cancel their Spring Quarter programming, including fundraisers.

Without these events, some leaders of campus student organizations have concerns about their finances. On the other hand, other more costly events have been canceled, leaving some groups with a surplus of funds.

Paula Diaz, Weinberg junior and Associated Student Government finance committee co-chair, said ASG, which allocates funds to the student organizations, funded clubs last spring normally, with percentage increases to account for factors such as inflation, the popularity of the organizations and their increases in attendance.

“This past funding cycle, we completely did everything normal as we usually would, and that’s kind of what we’re also looking forward to doing in the next quarters,” Diaz said. “Obviously we know that events aren’t being placed, but we’re not going to be decreasing the funds as of yet and we don’t really plan on doing that.”

Andy Grossman, SESP junior and ASG finance committee co-chair, added that ASG is “very fortunate” that the money they have to distribute to student groups has not decreased, which enabled them to continue funding them as usual.

The decision to make Spring Quarter remote majorly affected Mayfest Productions’ plans for Dillo Day — one of the most attended student-run events during a normal academic year. Last year, the organization held a virtual Dillo Day.

Dale Pyoun, Weinberg senior and Mayfest co-president, said there were fewer costs to hold virtual Dillo Day, resulting in more leftover money than the previous years. Since Mayfest already received funding for the festival by the time the pandemic hit, it did not affect their ability to put on the event.

“There was a lot more rollover money than other years because we didn’t have to build a stage and artists were going for a little bit less than an in-person event, obviously,” Pyoun said.

Fusion Dance Company was supposed to have a spring show, but it was canceled due to the pandemic. Weinberg junior and Fusion treasurer Amy Zhang said the cancellation of the show actually didn’t have much of an impact on the group’s finances because most of the group’s profits come from ReFusionShaka, a joint performance by Refresh Dance Crew, Fusion and Boomshaka held every fall.

Zhang said the pandemic’s financial impact on Fusion “hasn’t been too bad” and added that ASG allowed them to keep some of the spring show funds to use this year. On the other hand, she said Fusion is expecting to return zero profit this year because they cannot hold in-person gigs or host ReFusionShaka.

“We’re just trying not to spend a lot of money,” Zhang said. “Since we’re already in good financial standing, I’m not too worried for this year at least.”

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