Update: A more comprehensive article summarizing the current debate over funding the yearbook and discussion from ASWC Senate on Sunday, March 31 can be found here.
ASWC has released a preliminary budget for fiscal year 2014, which includes substantial cuts to Waiilatpu (the Whitman yearbook) and the Greekend Committee.
Waiilatpu requested $7,383 in funding and received $150, 2.03 percent of their request for this year. The yearbook was resurrected during the 2010-11 school year after Whitman went several decades without having a yearbook. Waiilatpu has annually received between $13,000 and $15,000 in ASWC funding every year for the past three years.
The Greekend Committee, which plans and organizes Greekend, requested $2,070 and received only $150. Last year, Greekend was granted $1,130.
The ASWC Green Fund was also cut 60 percent, from $1000 in FY 2013 to $400 in FY 2014.
Other groups which received less than 50 percent of their requested funding and less then 50 percent of their grant from FY 2013 are: Campus Climate Challenge, Slam Poetry, Social Dance Club and Whitman Direct Action. The complete preliminary budget can be viewed as a spreadsheet here.
These budget numbers have not been finalized, and groups may appeal funding amounts at special finance committee meetings on Wednesday, April 3 and Wednesday, April 10 at 8:30 p.m in Reid 210, the ASWC office. A total of $15,000 has been set aside for groups to appeal funding.
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huh? • Mar 31, 2013 at 9:20 pm
Why is the yearbook budget being cut to 150 dollars? can anyone explain the process or the campus debate on this?
Hannah H. • Mar 31, 2013 at 3:40 pm
I think slashing the Greekend Committee budget is a great move on the side of ASWC. Now the Greek community will be forced outside themselves to co-sponsor with non-Greek specific groups to put on an all campus weekend event that highlights and celebrates everyone at Whitman.
Greekend is the only attempt at a Greek/Non-Greek event, and traditionally it has not had the desired outcome. Props to ASWC. Hopefully this means a more inclusive Greekend – from the planning to the execution to the participation rates – in the years to come.