USG disburses funds

The Undergraduate Student Government voted yesterday to award 14 student groups a total of $60,439.79 in funds.

Of the 17 groups that applied for money at the first funding session of the year, a total request of $74,206.15, four were granted partial amounts, one withdrew its proposition, one was put on hold, and two were originally denied funding.

The Paintball Club received the most money, and was funded its full request of $11,500 for practice paint, membership to Matt's Outback Club - their practice area - and event paint.

Bringing Awareness Into Latino Ethnicities (B.A.I.L.E.) had its requests for funding to pay for dance t-shirts and shoes cut, since the members planned to keep them as personal belongings, something that USG does not allow when handing out money.

UConn Students for Christ, the other group denied funding, had requested $4,975 for a retreat to Monadnock Bible Conference Center in New Hampshire.

Brien Buckman, the funding board chair, said the funding board had denied the group money because the speaker who was being brought in to the retreat could, instead, be brought to UConn.

"By bringing the speaker to Storrs," Buckman said, "the campus community would be better served, since the event would be available to a much larger audience than if it were held in New Hampshire."

Kate Allison, the treasurer of USC, pointed out that the requested money was not funding the speaker, and also that her group was not paying for air fare and a $400 stipend, but for member registration.

According to Allison, the nearly $5,000 was needed to cover 50 group members, at $99.50 per person.

Allison also said that the reason for holding the retreat off-campus was to "get away" from the chaos of university life, since the trip is scheduled for the weekend before midterm exams.

USC, a branch of Campus Crusade for Christ International, has been fully funded for a similar endeavor in each of the past two years, Allison said, including last year, when 60 students attended, at a cost of $90 per person.

During questions and debate, MCD Senator Duncan Craig moved to fund the group in full, resulting in a 9-to-9 tie, which caused the motion to fail.

According to Buckman, in order to overturn a decision by the funding board, the senate needs to have a two-thirds majority.

Agricultural Senator John Hogan then moved to fund only eight members of the group, at $796, a suggestion Allison said USC would gladly accept.

The funding board guidelines, which Buckman had brought up earlier, only allow USG to fund 20 percent, or a maximum of eight people from any group to attend a conference.

A verbal vote clearly passed the funding of eight students to go on the retreat at the end of September.