The Associated Students Finance Board doled out over $19,000 to 15 student organizations during last night’s three-hour meeting.

The board voted to fully fund 12 campus groups, leaving over $8,000 in the Spring Quarter unallocated budget. Board members also debated the ethical and legal ramifications of funding further Student Initiated Outreach Program events after exhausting the SIOP budget last quarter.

Active Minds requested financial support to rent a photo booth for their upcoming “stress-out day” designed to help students unwind after midterms. The collaborative event will take place on May 4 on the Student Resource Building’s front lawn.

Finance Board member Marcus Rochellle said the $1,049 request was excessive for a photo booth that would only be used for an afternoon.

“I suggested that the group take pictures and have them printed on the spot rather than renting a photo booth, because $1,049 just for a photo booth to de-stress students for a few hours is a lot of student funds for something so small,” Rochelle said. “I’d like it if groups tried to find more cost-effective ways to put on their events.”

Despite Rochelle’s recommendation, the board decided to fully fund the event.

Beta Theta Pi fraternity also received the entirety of their requested funding for their annual philanthropy softball tournament. A $350 fee is required from each competing team; all proceeds will be donated to Operation Smile, a nonprofit organization that performs free surgeries for children with cleft lips and palates.

Board member James Hawkins said he respected the organization’s decision to open the event to the entire student body.

“I really commend Beta Theta Pi for making this event accessible to non-Greeks as well as members of the Greek community,” Hawkins said.

Council members ultimately allocated $2,170 for the tournament.

The board also discussed reversing a precedent of not supporting outreach events after Mujeres Unidas por Justicia, Educación y Revolucion, La Escuelita and Global Medical Brigades requested funding. After depleting the SIOP budget during Winter Quarter, the board decided to stop funding outreach events for the duration of the year.

Finance Board member Raul Martinez said it would be unfair to finance further SIOP events.

“It’s not fair to other groups that came in for outreach last quarter and earlier this quarter who we didn’t fund if we now decide to fund outreach events at this stage in the year,” Martinez said. “We agreed that we would not fund SIOP any longer, considering the budget.”

However, Finance Board chair Katie Lieberknecht said funding criteria should be based solely on an event’s merit.

“It’s stated in the A.S. Legal Code that the allocation of funds should be determined on an event-by-event basis,” Lieberknecht said. “This whole discussion has been us comparing two events to make our decision, which goes against the A.S. Legal Code.”

The board voted against funding Mujeres Unidas por Justicia, Educación, y Revolucion or La Escuelita for their outreach events but funded Global Medical Brigades in full for the group’s medical supplies.

Overall, the board fully funded Active Minds, DJ Club, Beta Theta Pi, Persian Student Group, UCSB Sociology Association, Global Medical Brigades, American Indian Student Mentor Association, Santa Barbara Investment Association, Students for Justice in Palestine, Women of Color Revolutionary Dialogues, Student Resource Building Governance Board and Students Teaching Alcohol and Other Drug Responsibility.

Additionally, the board partially funded Sigma Kappa Chi, Engineers Without Borders, Peer Education Program and Black Pioneers Renaissance Organization.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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