All publications received 60 percent of the amounts they requested. For some senators, even this was too much. "I think that we should not fund any of the publications for now," said Mike Flood '03. He argued that publications should not have been included in the budgets approved this week. He wanted to institute a reevaluation of the several publications, their value to the campus, the way they are run and the possibility of merging ones with similar purposes and readerships.
According to Luke Swarthout '04, the timing of Flood's proposal did not seem right. "It's a bad time in the semester to be bringing this up," he said.
"I don't think we should jack all their money right now," said Blake Sparrow '04.
Some senators also objected to omitting publications from the budget on principle. "We can't decide which publications to fund without making judgments on content," said Swarthout.
"We should be funding them more so that people's voices can be heard on campus," said Daisuke O '06.
Angiolillo noted that 60 percent of a requested budget is not enough for publications to release all their issues. "I think certain ones [that typically publish five issues per semester] can't publish all five, but they can publish three," she said.
Most campus publications will have to return to the senate to appeal for more money, a prospect which prompted complaints from some senators. "Treating publications as the bad child of all our clubs ... shows a really uncreative way of solving our problems," said Ali Sacks '03.
Flood had a response. "Just because we're talking about publications right now doesn't mean I don't think there are problems with other clubs," he said.
Finally, the senate passed the budget including funding for publications. It also voted to form an ad hoc committee of seven members to look into the various campus publications.
Many clubs received far less than they requested. The Black Students Union received $40 out of the $20,935 asked for. La Causa and the sailing club received 37 and eight percent, respectively, of the budgets they requested. According to Angiolillo, the reason some allotments were much smaller than requests was a failure to present contracts or to demonstrate need during the fall semester. In general, advertising for an event merited $7.50 for table tents. Clubs wishing to hold large meals will have to return next semester to request funds.
Clubs that find that they did not receive the money they needed can submit appeals and request discretionary funds. Discretionary program funds derive, in part, from this semester's rollover of $12,039.03, some of which will pay pending fall semester bills.
Some clubs, such as WAMH, received no funding due to their failure to submit requests.
Discretionary funds were also allocated for the last time this semester as part of Angiolillo's weekly budget recommendations. Men's ultimate frisbee, Women in Science, AIDS and HIV Awareness, Queer Union of Amherst College, Scrutiny, the Council of Amherst Publications and the Queer-Straight Alliance received additional funds. Also, despite receiving no funding in the budget for the spring semester, the ski team was allotted $9,200.
A petition to abolish diversity senate seats and to remove all mention of them from the constitution was circulated at the meeting. The petition is being pushed by Ali Hassan '05 and Elan Ghazal '05. The petition needs to be signed by 10 percent of the student body to be brought to a referendum during the next election on Dec. 10.
Eric Osborne '04 proposed that the College join the Center for Academic Integrity, which organizes conferences and provides resources to members in exchange for an annual fee of $350. "By paying, we're just saying we want access to the database," said Osborne. The issue was tabled when most senators agreed they needed more information before voting on the motion.
Swarthout announced that faculty-student dining week will be held the week after Thanksgiving. Pairs of students will ask professors to join them for a meal in Valentine to promote a closer relationship between the groups.
Sacks has resigned from the senate, effective next semester. Two seats will also open up for the class of '04.