The Student Services Finance Committee approved the eligibility of two student organizations — Working Class Student Union and Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán — to get funding from student segregated fee.
Colin Barushok, SSFC Chair, said these two student organizations qualified with enough educational benefits and campus engagement.
The committee evaluated criteria such as core programs, supportive programs, and financial and operational efficiency.
M.E.Ch.A was approved with a vote of 11-1 while WCSU received an vote of 8-4.
M.E.Ch.A is a student organization that has roots in the Chicano movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Aztlán refers to the territory of Northern Mexico that was annexed by the United States as a result of the Mexican-American War in 1846-48.
Members of the Chicano movement even propose that a new country be created called A República del Norte.
The other organization, WCSU, supports and advocates for working class and first-generation college students. They also educate the community about the benefits of celebrating class diversity.
WCSU engages the community by holding events, such as movie screenings which empathize with audiences who hold similar experiences. The dialogues that takes place after the screening allows for engagement.
In response to some financial confusions the WCSU clarified that it had returned 20 percent of the $49,000 budget from last fiscal year to SSFC for future reallocation. WCSU alleged that their return percentage is above the average.
According to SSFC’s calendar, all eligibility decisions have finally been completed as of Monday. In the next two months, the SSFC will hold student organization budget hearings and make decisions on Associated Students of Madison Internal Budget.
