Students requested discretionary funding totaling $38,930. The BC recommended allocating only $15,855. Before this week's allocations, $30,038 remained in the discretionary coffers for the rest of the semester-a mere 33 percent of the total fund for six weeks of programming.
After passing a motion to split the ski team funding issue from the other recommendations, the body discussed funding snacks at 10 p.m. each Thursday during the month-long Ramadan, when some Muslims fast everyday during daylight hours. The BC had recommended $20 for publicity and told those making the request to consult Dining Services about having meals prepared for the events. Senator Rania Arja '06 explained that Valentine would only offer is sack lunches. "[Furthermore,] Valentine would only give sack lunches to those fasting which would make the Thursday night meetings exclusionary." Senators voted overwhelmingly to increase the Ramadan funding to the full $500.
Adam David '06 then spoke on behalf of the Tae Kwon Do Club to appeal the BC's recommendation of $625, which would only pay their coach for the remainder of the semester. Senators argued that the request came too late and violated their policy of refusing requests for past events. "They're coming insanely late. If the coach had been coming, why wasn't the contract signed in the beginning?" asked Senator and BC member Matt Vanneman '06. David said that the club had not been able to sign a contract with the coach until recently because they were unsure of his reliability, which prevented them from requesting funds. Wallace disagreed with David's reasoning. "It's not a contract issue, it's when you're coming to ask for money," he said. The senate voted 16-11 to affirm the BC's recommendation of $625.
The senate debated a motion to decrease funding for the Outreach orientation trip from $1,750 to nothing on the grounds that the administration, not the student body, should be paying for an orientation trip. Senator Luke Swarthout '04 disagreed. "We ought to see it as our responsibility to round out what the administration misses, especially if we think it's a valuable part of our programming," he said. Senators also discussed having President Ryan Park '05 write a letter to the administration explaining their reservations, but this idea was eventually dismissed. In the end, the senate voted 16-11 to deny funding to Outreach.
The senate then discussed the BC recommendation that the AAS allocate $10,000 to the ski team. Many senators inquired as to why the athletic department does not fund skiing. Senator Justin Sharaf '05 on the Committee on Physical Education and Athletics reported that the College ceased funding for sports designated as club rather than varsity in 1984.
"$10,000 for people to go skiing over interterm is really steep," said Senator Geoff Brounell.
Senator A.J. Korytoski '04, president of the ski team and the BC, urged senators to fund the activity. "This is collegiate skiing at its best. Some people won't come to Amherst because we don't have a legitimate ski program. This is as legitimate as we can get." The senate finally voted 21-8 to allocate $10,000 to the team.
Senator Lincoln Mayer '04 motioned to fund the remainder of a request for AAS bus shuttles to and from Bradley Airport for Thanksgiving and Winter Break from the AAS's $12,000 operating budget. After Wallace said that enough would remain in the fund to pay for an AAS laptop to facilitate the spring budget allocation process and cover other miscellaneous costs, senators voted 27-3 to approve the motion. Information on the shuttles is already posted on the AAS website.