Monday’s Associated Students finance committee meeting was dominated by requests for funds for academic endeavors, while two groups sought financial help for religion-related events.

The first request – and the one that generated the most discussion during the committee’s deliberations – concerned an upcoming conference in Minneapolis for representatives of ASREC Sports. The request provided for the attendance of two members of the professional staff of ASREC and six students. Other sources of funds for the conference included a scholarship provided to graduate student Bryanne Knight, who sits in on finance committee meetings as Special Projects Director, as well as some attendees agreeing to share rooms.

This request sparked minor controversy due to how many people would be attending. Director of Finance Adam Haverstock and a couple of the committee’s student representatives asked if it was possible for the number of people to be reduced, but Knight said that it is important that all eight individuals attend the conference. Later in the meeting, during the committee’s deliberations, it was suggested that only students attend, and that they could pay for their own food while at the conference.

A.S. General Manager David Crandall said it was “beyond” him why the committee would exclude the staff’s funding or make the attendees pay for their own food.

“I am stunned by the questioning,” he said.

After a discussion of the amount of money remaining in the Unallocated Reserves Account, which holds around $30,000 more than it did this time in 2006, committee member Eric Whitney motioned for a recommendation of $9,500, which was seconded by Lyla Askejian and passed by the committee.

Two requests were submitted by student groups, both of which centered on religious events.

Student Shayna Hollinquest, representing the group Hope Fellowship, requested funding for an annual concert called “Jamfest.” CSUN students and members of the community are welcome to come to the event – for a price. The group is charging for admission because of a need to break even and because they want to be able to give money back to the church they represent, Hollinquest said. However, A.S. policy gave the committee pause.

“A.S. has a policy – funding that we give to programs has to (have free admission) for students,” Haverstock said.

In deliberations, two motions were made by committee member Jim Palmer – one for $2,500 and one for $1,000. Both motions died. Askejian then motioned for a recommendation of $900, which was seconded by Whitney before being passed by the committee.

Another religion-centered request came from the United Campus Ministry through the group’s vice president, junior marketing major Shain Hrehniy. UCM was requesting money for three upcoming events, including a graduation banquet for 25 to 50 graduates and their family and friends. In deliberations, a recommendation of $1,160 was passed by the finance committee.

Two graduate students requested funding for a trip for five people to a Chicano/a studies conference at the University of Illinois next week. The students will be making a presentation at the conference, and the committee later agreed to recommend $1,600 for their trip.

Two more students made requests for funding for their academic endeavors.

Hollie Putnam, a graduate student in marine biology, requested money for her thesis project, in which she will study how temperatures affect corals through manipulative experiments in the South Pacific later this year.

She has already received some money through grants that were given to her adviser through the biology department, and stressed the idea that the equipment she needed the committee’s funding for could be re-used.

“The benefit of these (pieces of equipment) are (they) won’t be a single-use thing,” Putnam said.

During deliberations, budget language kept the maximum that could be given to Putnam at $1,000, which is the amount that the committee ended up approving as a recommendation.

Another academic request was also made for a student named Marcella Brodsky to present an archaeological paper at a conference in Berlin.

The committee could only recommend $400 for the request due to rules for fund recommendations.

The recommendations made at Monday’s meeting will be brought before the A.S. Senate on Feb. 20. During that meeting, senators can debate the recommendations or suggest different amounts. Haverstock will represent the finance committee at the Senate.