The Associated Students Finance Board allotted $13,452 to 10 student organizations during last night’s three-hour meeting.
The board fully funded the UCSB Playwright’s Circle, UCSB Kirtan Yoga, Sociology Association, Isla Vista Outreach and Armenian Student Association while partially funding UCSB Student Veteran Organization, Santa Barbara Hillel, Taiwanese Student Association, Alpha Phi and Khmer Student Association.
The committee denied College Republicans’ request for $2,000 to host an event due to the controversial reputation of its proposed speaker. Only $1,567 remains in the unallocated Spring Quarter budget.
Following a lengthy debate, the organization deemed funding for the College Republicans’ event, featuring David Horowitz, an inappropriate use of student funds.
Finance board member Ahmed Naguib recalled Horowitz’s offensive and discriminatory behavior during his last visit to campus three years ago when he accused the Muslim Students Association of being affiliated with al-Qaeda and likened Muslims to Nazis.
“As a member of Muslim Student Association, I’m familiar with the comments that Horowitz has made,” Naguib said. “He incites hate and makes students feel very uncomfortable. I agree that people have the right to freedom of speech, but I don’t believe he has that right if it’s threatening students’ safety. He made several racist remarks about Arabs and accused people of terrorism last time he visited.”
Alpha Phi sorority requested funding for their annual volleyball tournament, Phi Ball, as well as a male beauty pageant scheduled during Phi Week. The tournament will be open to all students and proceeds from both events will fund the sorority’s philanthropic Alpha Phi Foundation, which supports heart health for women and Isla Vista Recreation and Park District’s restoration of Greek Park.
Alpha Phi’s Vice President of Marketing Danni Larsen, a second-year economics and accounting major, said supporting Greek Park’s restoration is essential as it has suffered from lack of financial support in recent years.
“Greeks used to fund Greek Park and they haven’t been for several years,” Larsen said. “We’re trying to get that started up again so Greek Park can be maintained and be a place that everyone can enjoy.”
The board eventually allotted $3,742 to Alpha Phi.
Santa Barbara Hillel requested funding for their annual open banquet to honor those who helped organize the group’s events this year.
SB Hillel Treasurer Danny Fischer, a fourth-year biopsychology major, said the banquet will act as a tribute to the organization’s leaders.
“This is a way to celebrate all the events we had throughout the year and thank those who contributed to the success of our events,” Fischer said. “We’ll be doing candlelight ceremonies and the event will be ‘Bar Mitzvah’ themed.”
The board ultimately allocated $350 to Santa Barbara Hillel.
AS should not have given a thought about David Horowitz — it should have been instant reject.
Why waste our breath over that abysmal fool?
@apples:
Do you not believe in free speech and the ability to provide alternate perspectives on campus? A university is suppose to be an open forum for learning and debate despite how controversial the speaker is. Just because you disagree with him doesn’t mean everyone else does. I believe it is AS’s job to represent all students, not just their own views.
You clearly show no intellect in your response to this article.
Fine.
All we will learn is that he is a rambling, abysmal fool.
Get us someone who is actually intelligent, “student.” You clearly show no intellect in choosing an angry man to speak for your principles.
I never said I fully agree with everything he says. There isn’t one person in the world that I fully agree with. That being said, I believe that by bringing a controversial speaker to campus will give students the opprotunity to further develop and strengthen their own opinions. It is then my hope that these students would then peacefully and respectfully express their opinions with their fellow peers in an open debate and forum.
If all of your argument is what you stated above, clearly your money has been wasted at this university.
I concur with what you said. I confess that I was just very skeptical with having someone as inflammatory and offensive as Horowitz to come here. But after all, we all have the right to free speech. It would be a crime for the University to block a speaker/spokesperson on the basis of their views alone — they would be treading on the First Amendment. If the MSA does not like the decision, then they can feel free to bring a speaker of their own. However, if his words start a riot or something here, then thats your money being… Read more »
This was posted on the Office of the President’s Facebook wall this morning…
http://thefire.org/article/13152.html
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