About 20 members of Dance Marathon and A&O Productions left Wednesday night's ASG meeting disappointed after the Senate denied their request for extra funding. Senators also did not pass Associated Student Government President Jon Webber's initiative to move campuswide executive board elections from the spring to Winter Quarter.
A&O and DM came to Senate to ask for more funding for next Wednesday's Ben Kweller and OK Go concert. A&O plans to donate 25 percent of their profits to DM's philanthropy for the year, Bear Necessities Pediatric Cancer Foundation, while the remaining 75 percent of proceeds must be funneled back into ASG funding for student groups.
The two groups asked the Student Activities Finance Board, ASG's financial arm, to allow DM to keep an additional 25 percent of the revenue, estimated at about $3,000, because they consider the event a co-sponsorship. SAFB denied their request, and many members of the groups came to the meeting to ask senators to overturn SAFB's decision.
"I really feel that we could make a big difference and set a precedent for other student groups to work together," A&O Chairman Alex White, a SESP senior, told senators.
SAFB members argued that giving the groups extra funds would violate guidelines. The Student Activities Fee, a $44 quarterly fee that students pay with tuition, is used to fund mostly A-status groups, not B-status groups such as DM, they said. Also, DM is not putting any of their own money toward the event, they said.
"They want to work together, and we want to encourage that, but the right way to (change the rules) is at the guideline review," said Ivy LeTourneau, a SESP senior and member of SAFB. A guideline review is held during the winter. "It's the fairest way to do that."
DM Executive Co-Chairwomen Krysta Kauble and Tara Corrigan, both Communication seniors, told the Senate there wasn't time to go to guideline review before the upcoming concert, and presented information about the philanthropy, which helps families struggling with pediatric cancer.
2008 Woodie Awards
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