During last night’s five-hour meeting, the Associated Students Finance Board distributed $12,035.60 to nine student groups, leaving $391,440.47 in unallocated funds for the year.
Board members fully funded the A.S. President and Persian Student Group, while partially funding Mock Trial, Laughology, FUQIT, UCSB Dance Team, Kappa Kappa Gamma, alpha Kappa Delta Phi and Lebanese Club. The board also tabled a request for budget reallocations for A.S. summer internships.
According to the board, A.S. had $30,000 to allot for summer internships within the organization.
Board member Dan Plotkin said it appeared as though three extra internships for the A.S. Executive Offices had been added, although there was no room in the budget.
However, the A.S. executive officers — who were on the internship selection committee — proposed removing the pay for these internships from their External Vice President of Local Affairs and External Vice President of Statewide Affairs budgets, respectively.
A.S. President J.P. Primeau said the internship committee made the decision in order to allow other students to receive the funding that would otherwise go to the officers.
“We did it to allow more people to have internships,” Primeau said. “It allowed the executive officers to fund their internships out of their own budget.”
Board member Desi Fairly, however, said she found it corrupt for the executive officers to use their budgets to fund their own internships.
“This does not sound like a good thing,” Fairly said. “Sounds like an abuse of power went on.”
The board decided to table the reallocation until next week’s meeting.
Meanwhile, board members shot down Raagmala’s $15,000 request and provided no money for the graduate student group, which promotes Indian music. The board agreed that the organization relied too heavily on Finance Board funding.
Board member Darshan Grover said the group failed to plan the event properly.
“I feel really bad as well for the fact that they’ve been doing all this funding for a $20,000 event that’s probably not going to be put on,” Grover said. “I thought they’d be smarter than to come to us this late. I would like to support them in some other way though.”
Laughology — formerly known as Comics Anonymous –also requested a large sum.
The group sought money for headliners and features for eight of their shows.
President Jeffrey Urrea, a fourth-year film & media studies major, said the comedy club has built up quite a following in the past two years by offering an alternative to a UCSB student’s average Saturday night.
“[The shows are a] great alternative to the IV party scene,” Urrea said. “The kids are safe there and it’s a great opportunity for everybody to watch comedy… It’s a win-win situation for everyone.”
The board granted the group $1,050 out of a requested $8,000, covering the headliner fee for the first show of the year.
Kappa Kappa Gamma was among the groups receiving partial funding. The sorority asked for money for their annual Kappa Dash, a 5-kilometer charity run that raises money for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.
Philanthropy chair Allison Capozzoli, a third-year history major, said this year’s event would be even more meaningful for her sorority.
“This is a 5k run we’ve put on for last seven years — this will be the eighth year,” Capozzolli said. “We have recently added ovarian cancer awareness as part of the cause. A girl from our house passed away from the disease last year, so the event means a lot to all of us.”
The sorority received $1,073.22 from a requested $1,672.46 to fund the run.