The Student Services Finance Committee denied funding to another religious group Monday night, but this time around, all parties involved indicated it was the correct decision.
SSFC, the financial branch of the Associated Students of Madison student government, unanimously voted against granting eligibility for funding to Calvary Lutheran.
Various members said they voted against the group because it was not a registered student organization, violated its own bylaws and duplicated services from other student organizations.
Fortunately for SSFC, that rationale seemed to sit well with University of Wisconsin student Ben Werling, who attended Monday's meeting on behalf of Calvary Lutheran.
"This is something that we wanted to try," Werling said in an interview after the meeting, stressing he does not think the organization's religious affiliation was a factor in the committee's decision. "That's what we kind of expected."
SSFC Vice Chair Kellie Sanders, the first to speak out against Calvary Lutheran's eligibility request, said she voted against the group because they are not actually a registered student organization, a requirement to receive segregated fees.
Fellow SSFC member David Lapidus echoed Sanders' sentiment, and added the group's duplication of services was cause for concern as well, as student groups must document a unique service they provide to the UW campus.
"They were not a registered student organization at the time their eligibility was to be decided," Lapidus said, noting that to his knowledge the group never has been a registered student organization. "The fact that they were a religious organization was completely irrelevant."
According to its website, Calvary Lutheran offers traditional and contemporary worship services, Bible studies, home-cooked meals, choir and instrumental groups, social events and active service opportunities, among other things.
The committee approved funding for the Student Leadership Program and for El Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan (MEChA) in votes of 8-0 and 5-1, respectively. SSFC also heard eligibility proposals from Vets for Vets and Promoting Awareness Victim Empowerment (PAVE), which will be decided on next week.
