ASG finalizes fall funding allocations, amends code review

Daily file illustration by Emma Ruck

ASG provided additional funding to four student groups and amended its code review.

Angeli Mittal, Reporter

Associated Student Government finalized fall funding allocations and amended its Fall Quarter 2020 Code Review at Wednesday’s session.

The Student Activities Finances Committee, led by Weinberg junior Paula Diaz and SESP junior Andy Grossman considered requests from representatives of four student groups for additional funding from the Senate-allocated Student Activities funds.

All four groups that presented received funding, though some made adjustments to their initial ask.

Lipstick Theatre received more than what was initially requested at the meeting. An additional $140 was granted to cover shipping, streaming and technology costs for the group’s virtual winter mainstage show. The initial ask for $200 was to accommodate increasing storage unit prices, but $300 was granted to get the group $178 from being fully-funded.

StuCo Senator and Communication sophomore Lauren Kelly said Lipstick Theatre was lacking funds because it had to cancel its spring Burlesque Showcase due to the pandemic.

She said the money awarded Wednesday would contribute to funding a play bolstering the voices of marginalized identities with their winter play.

“It’s called Sweep, and it is a play that centers women and non-binary individuals of color,” Kelly said. “And so (we’re) not only giving a voice to people of marginalized gender identities but also people of marginalized racial identities, people of color.”

ASG also approved an additional $200 for North by Northwestern for shipping costs unmet by advertising and subscription revenue. Grossman suggested producing online publications for promoting sustainability, which he characterized as a “generally successful” trend.

Chinatown Health Initiative negotiated an allocation of $39 to cover website costs. A previous request for funding a $65 premium Canva subscription was denied but awarded on Wednesday. Representative and Weinberg junior Yi Chen said the subscription would have been to create health cards.

“We have (health cards) on various medical conditions, and we have (health cards) on various health resources in the Chinatown community,” Chen said. “We think making these health cards will be easier with some kind of graphics and information management platform.”

Refresh Dance Crew was awarded $100 of the $200 initial ask for its new winter event called Winter Dance Concept Videos.

The representative asked for funding to pay a student videographer, but Grossman noted the finance code restrictions did not allow them to fulfill the request.

“We don’t fund wages,” Grossman said. “We’re of the opinion that for a videographer or a photographer, students will do that for free. So we’re not allowed to fund by our funding code.”

The $100 was granted toward the videos, but the student group will need to follow up with the Student Activities Finances Committee on whether or not the funding can actually be used to pay the videographer.

The Wednesday meeting also approved changes to the Fall Quarter 2020 Code Review. A change in Title II clarified the attendance policy, allowing a potential seat revocation after four unexcused absences.

An amendment was also proposed to change the wording of Title V, one of which required Senators to apply for at least one Standing Committee. Another included religious holidays as a valid circumstance for excusing a Senator from committee meetings.

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @amittal27

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