In its first meeting of the quarter, Associated Students Finance Board opened its wallet and gave out $2,534 of its winter budget to five student organizations, leaving less than a thousand dollars available to other groups for the rest of the quarter.

Student organizations receiving funds included the Queer Student Union (QSU), National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), the MultiCultural Action Coalition, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and A.S. Student Lobby. After the allocations, the board’s balance was $925.65.

QSU received $500 to help pay for the transportation and housing of 45 participants who plan to attend the Western Regional Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Allies College Conference on February 18 through 20.

NORML, who requested $290 for their annual revival of I.V.’s joint-rolling contests, received only $100 of their request. Some board members said they were hesitant to support a morally questionable event. In the event’s defense, Lauren Vazquez, a member of NORML and a fourth-year communication and law & society major, said this money would go toward publicity and supplies for the event.

“We hold events such as this to bring attention to the current legal status of marijuana laws,” Vazquez said.

Board members tabled the vote to approve $690 – which would have paid for referees – for the MultiCultural Action Coalition’s flag football fundraiser, Tackle Cancer, until next week. The vote was tabled because Rep-at-large Jason Everitt said he could find referees for the event who would work pro bono.

Francine Avila, a third-year political science major who represented the coalition, said nine other organizations planned to host the event, which will be held on March 5 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The games will include 16 teams of six people per team, she said. Funds raised will go toward cancer research, Avila said.

A $300 request from Alpha Kappa Alpha for its Emerald City Party was approved in a unanimous vote. The event will take place in the Hub on Jan. 15 from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.

The final group requesting funds, A.S. Student Lobby, asked for $1,500 to send 25 students to the University of California Student Lobby Conference 2005 in Davis. The group was allocated $1,000 of its request in an 8-to-0 vote, with one member abstaining. The conference will be held from Feb. 4 through 7, culminating in a lobby visit to the Capitol building in Sacramento.