The Student Services Finance Committee met Thursday night to hear one student organization’s budget presentation and debate the budget of a second student organization, making preliminary budget cuts before adjourning.
SSFC began debate for the Asian and Pacific American Council budget, but was cut short after several committee members left the meeting early, losing quorum and ending the meeting.
APAC budget cuts amounted to more than $20,000 from its $237,077 request, but are pending until approval in a meeting Monday.
Lengthy debate was spent on an APAC budget request for T-shirts for various events. Several SSFC members questioned the necessity of T-shirts to make events successful.
“We are going to have a hard time explaining to the student body why we are giving the organization (APAC) money for T-shirts,” Brad Vogel, newly inducted SSFC member, said.
SSFC member Kevin Otten did not find Vogel’s argument valid because “we shouldn’t be worried about what students think of the cuts we are making. We should only be making sure that money is given for a specific need.”
Other pending amendments to the APAC budget include a $675 cut to a volleyball tournament, $5,500 cut to printing and photocopying, $900 cut to computer software and $1,875 cut for speaker hotel expenses.
SSFC member Selam Zewdie said she was worried the time constraint of the meeting was causing SSFC members to make “on-the-spot decisions” on budgets without worrying about the consequences.
“We need to make adequate time to review the budgets [of organizations], because [organization members] took adequate time to prepare their presentation,” Zewdie said.
Promoting Awareness Victim Empowerment (PAVE) presented its 2005-06 budget, requesting $66,914, which is up nearly $5,500 from their 2004-05 allocation.
PAVE presenters said they hoped SSFC members would see the importance of their organization to University of Wisconsin students because of the service they provide to UW students.
PAVE works to decrease the number of sexual assaults on campus by providing awareness of sex and sexual assault by targeting dorms, sororities, fraternities and athletes.
The organization said they needed the money to hand out thousands of buttons, bookmarks and condoms throughout the year to create awareness, and to be able to hold events such as Sexual Assault Awareness Month, a drag show and Take Back the Night.
SSFC began the meeting by swearing in two new members, Brad Vogel and Jennie Johnson.
Janell Wise began the meeting by reminding SSFC members that they should feel free to voice their opinions on budget cuts and not worry about how other members or organization presenters will respond.
“You (SSFC members) are allowed to be upset with what is going on. Don’t feel like you have to censor yourself, because I feel like that is an issue lately,” Wise said.
