With a limited budget, student representatives struggled to provide support to clubs and organizations at the Associated Students Senate meeting yesterday.
Director of Finance Adam Haverstock reported the Unallocated Reserves Account balance was $42,570 and the Academically Related Reserves Account balance was $17,419. Haverstock said after a week’s time lag and the current recommendations, A.S. was reaching limits on spending, leaving just over $6,000 in the Unallocated Reserves Account for the rest of the year.
Alleviating a bit of the strain, the Senate indefinitely postponed a previous motion to allocate $15,000 to Adam Salgado from the Unallocated Reserves Account for the Speak Your Mind series. The action was indefinitely postponed in anticipation of receipt of the excess enrollment allocation. General Manager David Crandall said the allocation is typically received in May, but the Senate may not have access to the funds until June. The indefinite postponement puts the $15,000 back into the Unallocated Reserves Account. Crandall said a motion for Speak Your Mind funds could be resubmitted later if necessary.
The African American Music Association sought funding for their upcoming African American Music Festival. During the open forum, representatives from the group said the program, which seeks to bring performing arts back to schools, will include a music festival, concerts and a panel of leadership featuring local professionals in the music industry.
The finance committee recommended $4,000 from the Unallocated Reserves Account for the African American Music Festival.
“The group received $3,300 last year, so the committee recommended a reasonable increase,” Haverstock said.
Senator Byron Baba proposed a highly contested $500 increase in the allotment.
“Music is so representative of this population,” Baba said. “We should continue to expand the diversity on campus. If we do, perhaps in the future they won’t need so much money.”
During this discussion, Salgado announced his idea to postpone a previous allocation, adding $15,000 to the dwindling Unallocated Reserves Account. Baba’s $4,500 allocation amendment still failed, and the Senate agreed on the finance committee’s recommendation of $4,000 for the African American Music Festival.
Representatives from CSUN’s Filipino American Student Association were also in attendance at the meeting, seeking support for Pilipino Cultural Night. The event, scheduled for April 7, showcases dance, vocal and dramatic talent.
Last semester, the group received $2,000 for the event. This semester, they have less than $500 to work with. The finance committee recommended a $3,500 allocation from the Unallocated Reserves Account for the Filipino Cultural Night.
Baba suggested an allocation of $5,500 for the group. The motion failed almost unanimously.
Vice President Sarah Jackson said she’d attended a previous PCN and was impressed with the performance, but she was still mindful of the purse pinch A.S. is feeling.
“I’m sorry,” she told CSUN FASA representatives in the room. “It was really good though.”
Senator Ty Blake-Holden proposed a $4,000 allocation, citing the group’s successes in the past.
“I understand the fiscal situation,” Blake-Holden said. “This group puts on the largest events I’ve ever seen on campus, and they get the largest turnout. I think we should do what we can.”
The Senate settled on the finance committee’s recommendation of $3,500.
