The Badger Herald: News: MCSC asks for $323,243 budget

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MCSC asks for $323,243 budget

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Also by Marie Puissant:

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By Marie Puissant
Tuesday, November 4, 2008 3:47 a.m.

3 Vote 0 Votes

The MultiCultural Student Coalition is asking for $25,511 less than their previous budget.

MCSC, the University of Wisconsin student group with UW’s second largest budget, requested $323,243 from the Student Services Finance Committee, a 7.8 percent decrease from the 2008-09 academic year.

“We are hoping that they can view our budget and see more of the impact we have on the campus, not look at the size of it because we are a rather large organization.” said Alimatu Sirleaf, UW senior and MCSC executive member.

Also on the agenda for the meeting were the budget decisions for F.H. King Students for Sustainable Agriculture and the Working Class Student Union, a new organization requesting funds from SSFC.

F.H. King received $44,094, nearly $1,000 less than they requested, but approximately $12,000 more than last year, after denying funds for the student food and beverage line for the Upper Midwest Organic Farming Conference.

There was the small matter of wage policy exemption for the position of a student as full-time garden director. There is a prohibition for students working more than 20 hours per week, according to SSFC Vice Chair Carl Fergus, and the wage policy exemption was an important item since the position called for 40 hours per week.

“I do see the need for this group to have this position, not only to work that land but to have that person out there at all times of the week,” Fergus added.

The exemption was passed after clarification from a member of the group, Dana Hanson, that the student would not be taking classes but instead focusing on the position of garden director.

SSFC approved $63,275 for WCSU, $7,513 less than the group requested. WCSU provides advocacy and support for working class students and first generation college students. The group also educates other students on broader class issues, according to UW senior Chynna Haas, a WCSU member.

“We went to two meetings for eligibility, one for our hearing, and like, two others,” Haas said. “I think this is my fifth in a row. They should give me a T-shirt or something. I think overall we are pretty excited that we got the money that we did.”

After nearly two hours of discussion over the budget proposal for Movimiento Estudantil Chicano de Aztlán of $79,814, SSFC funded MEChA at $63,250.

Based on time contingencies, SSFC called to move the budget decision for Wisconsin Student Lobby to Thursday’s meeting. WSL has requested $68,908 for the 2009-10 fiscal year.

SSFC weighed increases to the Campus Women’s Center’s requests for increased funding for computers, printing and advertising in the 2009-10 budget from Oct. 31.

SSFC voted to increase CWC’s funding to $100,582, up from $83,548 for the CWC’s 2008-09 budget, about $7,000 less than the group requested.

The committee is scheduled to vote Thursday on MCSC’s budget.

— Cameron Connors contributed to this report.

3 Comments | Leave a comment

Anonymous | November 4, 2008 10:52 AM | Reply

MCSC does not need a budget that exceeds $100,000, the reason for that is that MCSC does not do anything that would validate a budget any larger. MCSC is one of the most corrupt student organizations on campus, the only thing they every do is Hip Hop crap! Hip Hop as a movement week is the largest event they put on and it’s not even educational. MCSC has a record of miss using funds, either by giving money to student organizations (without working with them) which is a violation of SSFC. MCSC has also done such things (When they first started out) giving money to student workers, buying cell phones, paying for boat rides and other corrupt crap. Of course, you won’t find any of this because as Katrina Flores (one of the few apart of the corruption) information has been doctrine. However, if you are an MCSC employee you learn of this any way! Please SSFC reconsidered giving that money to other student groups that will use the money in much better ways. Any former employee will tell you that MCSC is corrupt!

Kurt M. Gosselin | November 4, 2008 7:35 PM | Reply

One point to note is that MCSC has the largest GSSF budget.

-SSFC Chair Kurt Gosselin

Anonymous | November 13, 2008 9:42 PM | Reply

For the past 4 years, MCSC has downsized their budget to be more fiscally responsible.
What other student organizations do you know of that work with Housing, the Writing Center, educational department, community organizations, Dean of Students, Chancellor’s office, Vice Chancellor for Diversity & Climate, as well as educators GLOBALLY!
MCSC is the epitome of the Wisconsin Idea, something that this University lives by.
Hip-Hop is the 1st Multicultural phenomenon that this world has ever seen! So if you say that “Hip-Hop Crap” isn’t educational, you probably have not been. Because I can name at least 15 teachers in the Madison Metro area & a multiple professors ON THIS CAMPUS who would disagree with you. And look @ any other campus IN THE WORLD! No one is doing what MCSC does to educate & push the boundaries of Hip-Hop (that’s actually the new theme this year.. so check yourself).
Check the goals of Plan 2008. Something that the administration has FAILED to be accountable for over sooooo many years. (10+ years actually… and that is excluding the other 10 year plan before that!)
You misspelled “misused” & have ironically “misused” your right of free speech to spew a bunch of “crap” from your own mouth (keyboard rather) about an organization you know nothing about. I haven’t even touched on the direct services that MCSC has. And as a student, former house fellow, & MCSC ALUM… I know how great of an impact this org has on individuals as well as the university… and the world at large (as the international performers/educators that we bring).

Check ya self b4 you wreck someone else (TRY TO AT LEAST…)

IN…..YO…..FACE!

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