After much debate, the Associated Students of Madison Student Council approved more than $40,000 to the honoraria budget for the Wisconsin Alumni Student Board’s annual all-campus party.
According to WASB member Jenna Laszlo, the all-campus party is “the nation’s largest week-long, alcohol-free student event” that consists of a variety of events, including an All-Campus Idol and a Badger Blowout concert, Laszlo added.
Debate ensued over whether an extra $25,000 should be added to the all-campus party budget in an effort to fund a bigger attraction for the concert to attract more students.
“My constituents said they want a big name act and a big party to end the semester,” Student Council representative Axel Hernandez said. “There’s a lot of educational things put on. … I really think my constituents would want a big name act, so this is a big thing and there’s not a lot of big things coming this spring.”
Student Services Finance Committee Chair Carl Fergus argued funding a great performer was not an effective way to spend the committee’s money.
“The all-campus party is not an educational event,” Fergus said. “I don’t think it’s fiscally responsible for us to throw money into a performance that’s nice to go to but not educational. It’s taking money away from other organizations that are also looking to get event grants. To plug more money into [the party] is just irresponsible.”
Although the vote split 8-8, the amendment did not meet the two-thirds vote requirement and was not passed.
Of the $40,250 granted to the honoraria budget, the council agreed to allocate $3,000 for the Badger Blowout concert police.
According to Student Council committee member Adam Sheka, safety should be the council’s main concern.
“We talk about our safety a lot, and if we have 27,000 [students] in the same place, there’s a good chance something will happen,” Sheka said. “It’s irresponsible to not add funding to it.”
The committee also added $600 to the budget for advertising and $1,650 for space and equipment.
With the new ASM constitutional election just around the corner, Finance Committee Chair Tim Fung spoke during open forum to encourage all students to break the trend of bad voter turnout and get out and vote at the Feb. 23 and 24 elections.
“Now’s the time to flood the polls like an unstoppable tsunami because we want to make a sharp contrast,” Fung said. “Let’s not be depressed by past transgressions and not isolate ourselves in the basement of self-pity. … I urge you today, my friends, to go back to the rat-infested rooms of the union … and freshman-infested dorms and get out the vote.”
The Student Council also swore in Alex Sommer and Chynna Haas to the Letters and Sciences Student Council, Tom Templeton to the Finance Committee and Sara Friedman to the Student Services Finance Committee.
