The Associated Students of Madison’s Student Services Finance Committee met Thursday to determine The Western Martial Art’s Society’s budget, hear the budget for Atheists, Humanists and Agnostics and address the Associated Students of Madison’s Internal Budget. 

WMAS

WMAS, a group of students interested in studying and recreating the martial arts of Western Europe, requested a budget of $69,865.95.

SSFC Rep. Justin Bloesch expressed concern about the group, and said although it was granted funding last year, it was unable to accomplish the services it promised to do within the four months of already being funded.

WMAS’ Financial Officer Matthew Manes said he “totally understood [Bloesch’s] perspective there.”

SSFC Vice Chair Ian Malmstadt echoed this concern.

“When a student group comes to us and applies for eligibility, there is some level of understanding that when they do administer their budget, they are going to be able to perform their direct services that they said they were going to be able to and were accepted for,” he said.

He said WMAS do not abide by the rules laid out for student organizations.

Bloesch also expressed concern regarding WMAS’s failure to fulfill objectives, such as not having the ability to provide advanced training to other students.

SSFC voted 1-6 with five abstenstions to minimally fund WMAS at $10,000.

AHA 

AHA is an organization that promotes the discussion of faith and religion on campus, provides services that educate students on issues important to the secular community and encourage the personal development of one’s religious identity, according to their website.

Sam Erickson, the Outreach Chair for AHA requested a budget of $61,315.51.

Erickson said AHA would no longer need funding for the Computer Soft/Hardware since last year they bought a computer and another one would not be of any use.

Overall, there would be an 11 percent decrease in funding from the previous fiscal year, with decreases to equipment, program budget lines and decreased salaries.

AHA requested increased funding are for several events held including a $200 increase for the program, Ask an Atheist Tabling, in order to buy t-shirts and an increase of $200 for the Secular Student Alliance for a hotel.

AHA uses $6,500 for advertisements and will hold a meeting to discuss ways to diversify and cut down the amount of money spent.

SSFC will vote on AHA’s budget on Monday. 

ASM Internal Budget

SSFC also addressed ASM’s Internal Budget, primarily debating the USSA Membership line and the Green Fund line.

Amendments were proposed to fund the USSA membership line at $10,000 and to halve the Green Fund line.

SSFC Rep. Elizabeth Olsen said USSA was the only national organization that represented students which works on behalf of the student issues such as debt.

SSFC Rep. Callen Raveret was not in favor of this, saying SSFC was meant for specifically representing students on campus.

Both amendments ultimately failed.

The committee added $6,214 to the Rape Crisis Center line and took away the rider amendment for the Green Fund that stated funding was contingent on ASM bylaw alterations for an allocation committee.