Associated Student Government Senate approves additional funding for some student groups

People+sit+in+classroom+desks+while+two+people+speak+from+a+podium.

Daily file photo by Seeger Gray

The Senate will resume reviewing funding requests at next week’s meeting.

Nicole Markus, Senior Staffer

The Associated Student Government Senate voted to approve additional funding for some student groups Wednesday after hearing requests.

ASG’s Student Activities Finance Committee allocated funding for student groups based on proposals this week. During Wednesday’s meeting, group representatives reviewed their allocated SAFC funding and came before the Senate to ask for additional subsidies. 

Of the $45,000 left in available funds, the Senate voted to spend more than $17,000, approving additional funding for Fusion Dance Company, For Members Only, Purple Crayon Players, Northwestern Political Union, Middle Eastern North African Student Association, Outdoors Club and UNITY Charity Fashion Show. 

Fusion requested money to attend the Prelude Midwest Dance Competition. After attending this year, Fusion representative Matthew Lee said the group wanted to make attending the competition more accessible for members.

“We want to be able to make this experience one that they don’t have to worry about in terms of financial aspects,” Lee said. “This year, we ate the majority of our costs for costumes … but we had to have our members pay for their own competition fees, which did prevent some of our members (from competing).”

Due to time constraints, an additional round of proposals will be heard during next week’s meeting for the more than $20,000 remaining. The remaining funds after this meeting will be put toward Fall Quarter funding allocations. 

Senators originally voted to subsidize an additional $5,600 for NU Dance Marathon, but cut the funding after some Senators raised questions about whether NUDM raises money to cover internal production costs. ASG funding is meant to exist as a last resort, these Senators said. 

“An organization as big as NUDM can easily get some donor to donate to that, and I do think that it is very unfair for a very established organization like NUDM to be requesting this money,”  Multicultural Greek Council Senator Javier Cuadra said. “I don’t feel comfortable giving any more money.”

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @nicolejmarkus

Related Stories: 

Associated Student Government presidential candidates square off in Tuesday debate

A Guide to Associated Student Government; members plan to prioritize diversity, communication and transparency amid COVID-19

ASG votes to not change MENA Student Association’s funding tier in the Student Activities Finance Committee