ASUO finance committee reviews 2004 budget
rru members decided
to reduce the budget
of the Singapore Student
Association by 78 percent
By Michael A. Booth
Freelance Reporter
Chern Yeen Yeo nervously await
ed the verdict of his organization's
financial future.
Yeo, a freshman and representa
tive of the Singapore Student Associ
ation, had just finished pitching the
SSA's budget to the ASUO Programs
Finance Committee. He had hoped
to preserve funding for his student
organization despite dwindling
membership and a lack of past and
current events.
Members of the PFC questioned
Yeo, seemingly attempting to find jus
tification for the SSA's budget. How
ever, Yeo conceded that "only two
freshmen were new to the group,"
and no other new members were ex
pected. He estimated that five to six
members remained after graduation
last year.
PFC Sen. Colin Andries sympa
thized with Yeo and told PFC mem
bers "we want to keep them active
and alive," but Andries added he
could not justify maintaining a
budget that had been scarcely used
in the last few years.
Yeo, appearing to be a little stunned
from his first PFC experience, quietly
accepted the second-largest funding
cut of Saturday's PFC budget hearings
— an 83 percent decrease in funds to
a total of $75.
Sen. Michelle Rose tried to encour
age Yeo after the decision.
"You're an awesome group; we're
not denying that," she said. "I would
suggest that you build from the
ground up."
The largest individual funding cut
of the day was to the Sports and En
tertainment Law Forum. No SELF
representative was present at the
hearing time, and PFC voted to de
fund the organization. SELF'S 2003
04 budget is $326.
PFC chairperson Adrian Gilmore
noted that all organizations have the
right to appeal the PFC's decision,
provided they have new information
within five days.
Also receiving a large budget cut
was the Westmoreland Tenant
Council. The PFC cut the stipend
funding for the WTC's vacant secre
tary/treasurer position and some
spending items were cut due to an
unclear spending history.
The PFC also motioned to cut the
WTC's vice chairman position, but,
due to a technical rule, they needed
a unanimous vote. Khanh Le, the
PFC's lone holdout, blocked the
motion and the PFC eventually de
cided on a figure of $2,381 for a de
crease of 31.8 percent.
In contrast to SSA, WTC and SELFs
budgets, several organizations fared
much better. Groups that received ad
ditional funding were praised by PFC
for their consistency in programming
events that benefit the University as a
whole, maintaining a strict budget
and demonstrating a valid need for
the increase.
The largest recipients of budget in
creases, by percentage, were the
African Students Association and the
Pacific Islands Club.
ASA received an increase of 56
percent for a total of $1,337. PIC
was budgeted $417, up 39 percent.
Both organizations impressed the
PFC with their history of holding
educational events and attaining
private sponsorship.
The Sustainable Business Sympo
sium received the largest monetary in
crease of the day with a total of
$7,668, a 27.9 percent increase.
SBS Finance Officer Eduardo Nas
rallah said the primary reason for the
additional funding request was to be
able to attract more prominent
speakers to the next conference and to
cover rising advertising costs.
"Basically, everything this group
says they're going to do, they do,"
Gilmore said.
Among those who received mini
mal changes in funding were the
Malaysian Student Organization
($60 for a decrease of 11.7 percent),
the Latino/a Law Student Associa
tion ($269 for a 13.5 percent de
crease) and the Black Law Student
Association ($1,175 for an increase
of 6.3 percent).
Two new organizations, the Stu
dent Association for Women in Ar
chitecture and Family Law in Prac
tice, were each granted a $300
startup budget.
The Delta Graduate Student Orga
nization had not completed necessary
paperwork at the time of its hearing
and its budget was tabled.
Michael A. Booth is a freelance
reporter for the Emerald.
uoiin Andries
PFC Senator #3
Mena
Ravassipour
PFC Senator #2
Khanh Le
PFC Program
Representative
Adrian
Gilmore
PFC Senator #1,
PFC Chair
Joe Snyder
PFC At-Large
Toby Piering
PFC Vice Chair
Michelle Rose
Executive
Appointee
PFC approves funding for nine student groups
The committee doled out
nearly $30,000 in funds
during Thursday's meeting
By Chuck Slothower
News Reporter
Incidental fee funds landed in the
hands of nine student groups at the
ASUO Programs Finance Committee
meeting Thursday night. The commit
tee approved group budgets totaling
$29,367 during the five-hour meeting.
The Criminal Law Association had
its $550 budget approved by a vote of
3-1-3, despite PFC Sen. Mena
Ravassipour expressing concern that
the group failed to spend any of its
$300 food account last year.
"CLA rolled over all $300 for food
last year, so how do we justify giving
you $300 again?" she said. "I just don't
feel comfortable giving all $300."
PFC Sen. Colin Andries disagreed,
saying "There is new leadership to show
that the group knows where it's going."
ASUO Finance Coordinator Mike
Martell warned against using that as a
precedent since many student groups
have new leadership each year.
The American Institute of Architec
ture Students received a $582 budget,
a slight increase over last year.
"We are a growing group," said An
dres Mazry, president of A1AS. "The
(AIAS) supplements the education that
architecture students receive here"
The Association of School Psychol
ogy Students, a new group of mostly
doctoral students in the College of
Education, received a $300 budget.
PFC awarded Kultura Pilipinas a
$2,407 budget a 4.8 percent decrease
from last year.
Hawaii Club, a group founded in the
1970s to support Hawaiian students,
won a $7,105 budget a 16.1 percent in
crease over last year, though less than
recommended by the ASUO Executive
PFC postponed a decision on the
International Law Student Associa
tion's budget after ASUO President
Maddy Melton expressed concern that
students who want their own copy of
the "Oregon Review of International
Law," which ILSA publishes, must pay
for it in addition to funding the inci
dental fee, which is the funding
source for student groups.
"Exec is in no way trying to de
fund ILSA," ASUO Controller Sara
Henderson said.
"I don't think there's really any
harm in postponing a budget meeting
to make sure you make a well-in
formed decision," ASUO Student
Senate President Ben Strawn said.
PFC approved a $4,089 budget for
the Japanese Student Organization,
a 1.3 percent increase over last year.
The group hosts Japan Night and
Sushi Night.
The Jewish Student Union received
a $6,788 budget, a 5.9 percent in
crease over last year, and the European
Student Association gained a 19.8
percent increase, to $381.
As the meeting wound down
around 10 p.m., the American Adver
tising Federation/Ad Club received a
$7,165 budget, a 3.9 percent increase.
Contact the campus/ ~
federal politics reporter
at chuckskjthower@dailyemerald.com.
NUMBERS
continued from page 1
Rose pointed to the racial diversity
of PFC members and said it helps the
group work more effectively.
'I think that's empowering to mi
nority student groups," Rose said.
"They see that we're not just a run
of-the-mill, financially tight council
that decides their future."
PFC has a guideline, called a
benchmark, of $4,996,813 that they
can allocate this year. While PFC has
some leeway in spending above the
benchmark, Rose said it will keep a
lid on its spending.
"We're really serious about that,"
Rose said.
Andries said part of the reason he
joined PFC was that he had a less
than-ideal experience with PFC last
year as a member of the Student Bar
Association.
"It didn't seem like a friendly
process to me," he said. "I wanted to
make it a more congenial atmos
phere for everyone."
Andries added that working with
students on their problems and meet
ing new people is the best part of par
ticipating in the budget process.
"I just like working with people,*
Andries said.
The seven PFC members grilled 10
student groups Thursday, including
the European Student Association.
The ESA began its fairly typical budg
et hearing by explaining its purpose.
ASUO Controller Sara Henderson
praised the ESA's fund-raising
prowess, but her praise did not cause
PFC to go easy on the group. The
committee split ESA's budget into
advertising expenses, office supplies,
postage, printing and duplication
costs and funds for a culture night.
Eventually, PFC was satisfied that
the group's $381 budget was fair and
passed it by a vote of 6-0-1, with
Gilmore abstaining, as he often does
as chairman.
Tve got mixed feelings about it,"
ESA Executive Director Slobodan
Subasic said of the budget. "Before
the meeting, we'd hoped for better
than that."
Rose said Subasic's reaction has
become increasingly common due to
the economy.
"We're seeing more slightly disap
pointed people than people who are
excited about their budgets," she said.
Contact the campus/
federal politics reporter
at chuckslothower^dailyemerald.com.
ASSAULT
continued from page 1
Jennifer Hegstrom, could not be
reached for comment. Williford said
Siavii was on his way to Hawaii and was
unavailable for comment. Oregon
head coach Mike Bellotti was on a re
cruiting trip and unavailable for com
ment, as well.
Bellotti told the Emerald in early No
vember when asked what he expects of
his athletes, that 'they are perfect gen
tlemen and they recognize their
responsibility as student-athletes.*
Bellotti said student-athletes are
trained on proper conduct, which in
cludes discussions with lawyers, judges
and police officers.
"I think we have very positive peer
pressure on them to do things right and
live up to the responsibility," he said at
the time
The altercation is the second such in
cident involving an Oregon football
player at Taylor's in the past year.
On May 11, 2003, according to a
police report, then-Oregon free
safety Keith Lewis punched track
athlete Brandon Holliday after a
brief verbal altercation.
Contact the sports editor
at hankhager@dailyenierald.com.
Senior sports reporter Mindi Rice
contributed to this report
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