Riley Esguerra/Daily Nexus
The Associated Students Finance and Business Committee (A.S. F&B) met Monday in the UCen State Street room to consider fourteen funding requests from 13 campus organizations.
The committee began its meeting with $31,294 in Office of Student Life (OSL) funds, $6,655 in Senate unallocated, $45,000 in Student Initiated Outreach Program, $28,568 in Culture Weeks and Graduations, $27,000 for sports teams and $16,147 for academic teams. A.S. F&B fully granted seven requests and tabled seven requests.
American Indian Student Mentor Association (AISMA) requested $6,000 for their annual harvest festival introduced at last week’s meeting. AISMA agreed to use their one-time exception clause in allocating funds for the event.
A.S. F&B voted to fully fund their request.
The University Recreation Center (UCen) requested $1,100 for their quarterly UStudy Program, which would allow the UCen to be open for 24 hours beginning Saturday of dead week until Thursday of finals week.
UCen conference coordinator Samantha Moon said the UCen would also be providing study spaces, tutoring and snacks to students.
“The UCen will be open for 24 hours, the lower-level conference rooms will be opened as study spaces and will be offering free tea, coffee and snacks after 1 a.m.,” Moon said. “We will also be holding CLAS sessions in Corwin Pavilion and free massages in Flying A Studios.”
A.S. F&B voted to table the request for a week to request further information.
Native American Indigenous Languages (N.A.I.L.) requested $1,100 for their annual Workshop on American Indigenous Languages (W.A.I.L.). The workshop will be a daylong event with speakers presenting research on the various indigenous languages of the Americas.
N.A.I.L. representative and graduate student Morgan Sleeper said the conference is a platform for undergraduate and graduate students, community members and scholars to present their research.
“It’s an academic conference on American Indigenous Languages, and for many, this is a safe environment to present at their first academic workshop,” Sleeper said. “There’s also a scholarship program that is funded by the workshop.”
A.S. F&B voted to fully fund the event.
SB Hillel requested $160 for their Open Mic Night on Nov. 5 and their Hummus Cookoff Night on Nov. 10. The Open Mic Night allows students to watch and participate in singing. The Hummus Cookoff Night aims to educate people about the Jewish student population on campus.
A.S. F&B voted to bundle and fully fund the two requests.
Out in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (oS.T.E.M.) requested $450 to cover the registration fee for attendance at the fifth Annual oS.T.E.M. National Conference, which brings together students and professionals from various S.T.E.M. fields for professional development and networking.
According to oS.T.E.M. representative and fourth-year chemistry major Sam Alcantar, the conference allows students to learn about resources for LGBTQIA+ professionals in S.T.E.M. fields while developing leadership skills.
“oS.T.E.M. supports LGBTQIA+ people in S.T.E.M., an underrepresented community in S.T.E.M.,” Alcantar said. “There are big LGBTQIA+ hiring companies at the conference. We’re building as a chapter and we hope new members develop and learn leadership skills.”
A.S. F&B voted to fully fund the request.
Health & Wellness requested $13,500 to purchase a vending machine for sexual reproductive health products. The vending machine would operate 24-hours every day of the week and dispense items such as emergency contraception (Plan B), condoms, lube, tampons, pads and nonprescription pain relievers.
Health & Wellness representative and third-year biology major Eyra Dordi said the purpose of the machine is to increase access to contraception on weekends and after hours when students do not have access to Student Health.
“The problem we have on campus right now is that there is a lack of access to Plan B on campus on the weekends. Currently, at Student Health, you can get Plan B for $25 which is much cheaper than other places where Plan B can cost up to $50 or $60,” Dordi said. “The problem is if you have unprotected sex on a Friday, you would not be able to get Plan B from Student Health until Monday, when Plan B would be far less effective.”
A.S. F&B voted to table the request for a week to discuss the logistics of the machine and to consider bundling the request with Health & Wellness’s condom dispenser.
Hermanos Unidos requested $400 for their Annual Thanksgiving potluck that will be held in Santa Catalina Hall’s Linda Vista Room.
A Hermanos Unidos representative said the event is for everyone at UCSB and provides a dinner for those who are unable to go home for Thanksgiving break.
“The money is for a Thanksgiving potluck, which this year we are opening up to everyone at UCSB to spread awareness of our organization and give students who can’t go home for Thanksgiving a Thanksgiving Dinner,” the representative said.
A.S. F&B voted to table the request for a week with stipulation that Hermanos Unidos request funding from Santa Catalina’s Hall Council.
Kappa Alpha Theta requested $1,815 for their annual spaghetti fundraiser dinner. The event will be held on Nov. 15 and is an open-community event to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Kappa Alpha Theta president and fourth-year communications major Kelly Ikeda said the annual event is in honor of a fellow sorority sister who passed away due to leukemia and will support current sisters who have family members battling the diseases.
“We started this event because a sister of Kappa Alpha Theta at Cal Poly SLO, our neighboring school, passed away from leukemia several years ago,” Ikeda said. “This year we also have three sisters who have family members who were recently diagnosed with leukemia or lymphoma.”
A.S. F&B voted to fully fund the event with the stipulation that Kappa Alpha Theta purchase all utensils, napkins and plates from A.S. Recycling.
Korean Campus Ministry (KCM) requested approximately $500 to send 45 members to a KCM winter retreat.
KCM representative and fourth-year language, culture and society major Carrie Han said the retreat is for all eight chapters of KCM.
“This can also be considered a conference,” Han said. “We’re hoping that our members grow not only spiritually but also as leaders.”
A.S. F&B voted to table the request for a week with the stipulation that KCM bring a more precise budget plan.
The Wildlife Society requested $450 to host a showing of a National Geographic TV program in I.V. Theater.
Wildlife Society representative Chad Moura said the event would help grow their club’s presence on campus and provide entertainment for those who are passionate about wildlife.
“We’re holding this event to spread awareness for our club since we are a smaller organization,” Moura said.
A.S. F&B tabled the request for a week with stipulation that they request funding from the Office of Student Life’s After Dark Late Night Social Programming program.
Raices De Mi Tierra requested $13,154 for reimbursement for an event they held last year and funding to host the same event this year.
Raices De Mi Tierra officer Aimee Sarabia said the event invites middle and high school students to UCSB to learn traditional Mexican dances and partake in campus tours.
“We taught students from the ages of 14 to 17 traditional Mexican dances and also held campus tours,” Sarabia said.
A.S. F&B voted to table the request for a week with stipulation that they talk to the A.S. Associated Director of Administration Cindy Lopez to discuss the funding they did not receive last year.
UCSB Wrestling Club requested $520 for travel expenses, hotel expenses and competition expenses to attend a National Collegiate Wrestling Association Tournament.
Fourth-year philosophy major and UCSB Wrestling Club Representative Elliot Park said the funding would allow lower-income students to attend the event and allow all wrestlers to have an equal opportunity to compete as UCSB athletes.
“We’re asking for funding for our lower-income wrestlers to go to a tournament in Fresno,” Park said. “We want to provide all of our athletes an equal opportunity to compete as UCSB athletes at the highest level and a chance to go to Nationals.”
A.S. F&B voted to fully fund the request.
The International Student Association requested $580 for a weekly coffee event.
International Student Association representative and fourth-year actuarial science major Gary Wang said the event aims to give all students a place to learn more about various cultures.
“I’m requesting funds for our weekly coffee hour event, where we invite all international students for coffee and pizza. We learn about different cultures and give international students a place to talk about their cultures,” Wang said.
A.S. F&B voted to fully fund the request considering the use of the organization’s one-time exception.
Dia de los Muertos Planning Committee requested $1,000 to hold an altar-building event for Dia de los Muertos.
Event Coordinator and fourth-year history of public policy major Paola Villegas said the event is welcome to all students who wish to celebrate the holiday.
“EOP from the Chican@ Studies group is holding an event where students will be able to build altars for Dia de los Muertos,” Villegas said. “The other events for Dia de los Muertos are more educational and everyone is welcome to build an altar.”
A.S. F&B voted to table the request indefinitely with the stipulation that the Dias de los Muertos Planning Committee specifically determine how they would use the funds for the event.
