At yesterday’s Associated Students Finance Board meeting, board members determined the budget for the school year and distributed $2,900 between three student groups.

Board members divided this year’s $17,060.45 budget among Fall, Winter and Spring Quarters: $5,000 for Fall and Winter Quarters, but $7,060.45 for Spring Quarter, as the board traditionally receives more requests for funding then. The board then allocated funds to the Queer Student Union, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. and the Student of Color Conference. Only Alpha Phi Alpha’s request was provided in full.

The board unanimously approved the $500 requested by Alpha Phi Alpha for their event titled “A Voteless People is a Hopeless People.”

Alpha Phi Alpha representative Tim Finney, a fourth-year business economics major, said the group needs the funds to cover the event’s advertising and printing costs.

“The purpose of this event is to inform people in a nonpartisan way what is going on in the election,” Finney said.

The board then quickly and unanimously approved $500 for the QSU, who originally requested $900. The money will go toward the group’s Nov. 1 ’80s Coming Out Dance.

As for the SCC, Stacy Umezu, a fifth-year film studies major, asked the board for $2,509.20, but received $1,500. The board has been a long-time financial supporter of the SCC, which features workshops on issues of interest to students of color. The conference is slated to take place in Berkeley Nov. 17 to 19.

“It’s really important that we take as many students as we can,” Umezu said. “Historically, Finance Board has always supported [this conference].”

During the discussion, Finance Board member Chaz Whatley, a fifth-year sociology major, motioned to allocate the SCC $1,500, and urged the board to approve the funds as the board functions on a first-come, first-serve basis.

“We don’t save our money for students that have not come here yet; we give out money on a first-come, first-serve basis,” Whatley said. “Right now these people are here and they need money to go to a conference; and if they don’t get it here then where are they going to get it?”

In rebuttal, board member John Paul Primeau argued that giving away a great portion of the board’s quarter budget is unfair to other student groups that will request funds in the future.

“I think it would be fiscally irresponsible to do something like that,” Primeau said. “I know that we work on a first-come, first-serve basis … [but] that’s like turning a blind eye to all other groups on campus.”

After considerable debate, the board decided to allocate the $1,500 to the SCC with seven in favor, five in opposition and one abstaining.