The Associated Students Finance Board allocated its final $1,282.41 for Winter Quarter and discussed the annual budgets of two dozen A.S. entities at its meeting last night.

The largest allocation of the night went to the Black Student Union, which received $500 for outreach programs. Other groups receiving funds included the Law and Society Journal at the University of California, Santa Barbara, the Gauchos Graduate Film Society, the International Convention on Human Rights (ICHR) and the A.S. Academic Affairs Board (AAB). The Finance Board was unable to fully meet the requests of almost every group due to its tight budget.

Two dozen boards and committees also presented their requested budgets for the 2006-07 academic year. After it discusses the budgets in closed session, Finance Board will send their recommendations to A.S. Legislative Council, which will ultimately decide on what amount each group receives. Over $100,000 in budget requests were presented last night for things ranging from printing and office supplies to the travel expenses of student representatives.

A.S. Women’s Commission, for example, requested $4,000 to fund Herstory, a magazine dedicated to women’s issues.

The A.S. Elections Committee budget included a $6,000 request, three-quarters of which would go toward advertising for student elections. Another $1,300 would fund an outside company to conduct the balloting process.

A larger budget request came from Bill Shiebler, A.S. state affairs organizing director. Shiebler requested $30,000 for the A.S. External Vice President of Statewide Affairs position, currently held by Felicia Cruz. Of the amount, $25,000 would be set aside for travel and conference expenses.

Shiebler also requested $20,000 for United States Student Association (USSA) dues and $7,400 for the State Affairs Organizing Director position, including $5,500 in travel funds.

“When you have an office dedicated to statewide and national affairs, you have to leave campus,” Shiebler said.

In addition to hearing budget proposals, the Finance Board funded five student groups, exhausting its quarterly budget.

AAB Chair Michael Friedman said he wanted $450 for office supplies, special projects and for a hotline where students can report complaints about the university.

However, council members, faced with a tight budget, did not meet Friedman’s request. Instead, they allocated the remainder of BCC funds, $282.41, to AAB by a vote of 8 to 3, with 3 board members abstaining. BCC is a special fund set aside specifically for A.S. organizations.

The Black Student Union received its entire request of $500. Director of Programming Brandon Penn said the funds would pay for vans to bring underprivileged primary and secondary school students to UCSB as part of an outreach program.

“We really want to give back to the community,” Penn said.

Board member Samantha Nevels said recent cuts to outreach programs have made events like Penn’s especially important.

“Since other outreach has been cut, it’s up to groups like us to fund them,” Nevels said.

The board also allocated $300 to the Law and Society Journal for publication expenses.

“I really like the Law and Society Journal because it gives a lot of opportunities to undergraduates,” Finance Board member Eva Kilamyan said.

Board members also voted unanimously to give $100 to the Gauchos Graduate Film Society and the ICHR for upcoming events. Film society representative Hye Jean Chung said her group is planning three film screenings at I.V. Theater this quarter.

ICHR Vice President of External Affairs Christina Kaspar said ICHR has scheduled a discussion of labor rights and social justice for Feb. 22 at 4pm in the College of Creative Studies.

Both groups had originally requested $1,000 from the board for their events.

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