The Business and Finance Committee allocated a total of $2,030 to student organizations and $3,988.39 to club sports during its meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 14.
Model United Nations representative Lilly Vael requested $3,382 funding for conferences the group plans to attend throughout February.
“The joint cost of these conferences is almost $16,000 and through outside fundraising methods including a very successful GoFundMe campaign, particularly for the Frankfurt conference, we have raised all of the additional funds that we need, and we just need this $3,382,” Vael said.
Beginning with praise of Model UN, Director of Business and Finance Mohammad Aggour reminded Model UN only 7% of the total budget could be allocated at a time to any organization. The allocation amount was thus amended to $1,780 and unanimously approved by the committee.
Southeast Asian Student Association requested the remaining $500 from their original inquiry in December for $1,308, to fund the third annual SEASA Culture Night, an event in which both traditional and modern performances showcase the sophistication of the cultures they represent. It is regularly referred to as their most anticipated event of the year.
Sen. Nick Galluzzo proposed to amend the amount to $250. The amended amount of $250 was approved unanimously. Aggour encouraged the organization to return the next meeting if more funds are needed.
Club Baseball EMU requested $3,000 in allocations which would be used $1,320 for Umpires, $1,200 for fields, and $560 for new hats. A particular event that Club Baseball EMU plans to host is a “military game.”
Because the amount requested exceeded 7% of the budget, the organization was allocated $2,050 with unanimous approval.
“One thing that we’ve been discussing is getting with the local VA in Ann Arbor, and getting some of the older vets to come down for a game. And then bringing some of the younger generations of veterans and kinda clashing because we’ve noticed that a lot of them (are) kind of separated into the generations and stuff like that. So we want to bring the community closer, and kinda collab with different generations,” explained Club Baseball EMU representative.
Aggour recommended Club Baseball to return to the next meeting, on Tuesday, Jan. 28, if more funds were desired.
“Your success on and off the field is really something that we are proud to help fund,” Aggour said.
The final allocation of the night was to Club Hockey. They have continually requested a maximum of 7% of the budget over the past few months. Exact amounts were not specified but most of this money is said to be used for ice and venue rentals. The club was allocated the full 7% at $1,938.39.
“I’ve been in close contact with the President of Club Hockey, and we’re understanding that each time that they come in, is that they’ll be asking for 7%. Hockey is an expensive sport,” Aggour explained.
These allocations left the budget for student organizations at $23,462.41 and the budget for club sports at $25,752.78.
