The Student Services Finance Committee approved a slightly altered Jewish Cultural Collective Monday night and tabled the budgets of the Multicultural Student Coalition and the Polygon Engineering Student Council until Wednesday night’s meeting.
Discussion of MCSC’s $673,984.69 budget commenced after at least 15 people spoke on behalf of the student organization in open forum. Several animated members of the coalition reacted negatively when SSFC members discussed cuts, and several times Chair Aaron Werner warned them to settle down or be removed.
Before the committee moved to table the budget for the night, $136,752.40 was cut from salaries, $11,856.80 was cut from travel expenses, and more than $12,000 was cut from office supplies.
MCSC member Ryan Baker was not pleased with the cuts so far and said that MCSC is sorely needed on a campus that he thinks is diversity-challenged.
“Sometimes, I’m the only black guy in class,” Baker said. “And then I go to [the MCSC Campus Center], and that’s like home to you.” Baker likened the cuts to the MCSC as taking money from your home.
In addition to its regular funding, the Campus Women’s Center also received an allocated $1,500 for a new desktop computer. The money for a new computer was withheld from the CWC’s original amended budget to explore the option of getting a machine from a computer swap, which did not pan out.
The JCC, a consortium of Jewish arts and culture, received nearly all of its proposed funding, with little more than $1,700 cut for public-relations workers from its original proposal of $108,866. Matt Canter, a JCC representative, was at Monday’s meeting and said he was thrilled with the outcome of the committee’s decision.
Committee member Lindsey Ourada stated during budget discussion that she thought JCC had a responsible proposal.
“I think it’s a tight budget,” Ourada said.
Polygon’s budgetary decision will come during Wednesday’s meeting, in order for the committee to get answers to several questions some members felt were left hanging by the student group, which promotes cooperation and communication among students, student organizations, the University of Wisconsin College of Engineering administration, and industry. No representative was present Monday to field possible questions.
The committee ended the meeting with talks of upcoming budget decisions and meetings, and SSFC chair Werner said he wanted all members to do their “homework” and come to Wednesday’s meeting prepared.
