SAC will not fund magazine this year

For the third consecutive month, the Student Activities Council voted last night not to discuss funding The Red and Blue for this academic year at its annual allocations meeting. SAC approved next year's budgets for several other member organizations at the meeting. In order for The Red and Blue to receive finances this year, the body would have had to allocate money from the 1994-95 contingency fund to the magazine, according to SAC Steering Committee Chairperson and College junior Graham Robinson. But allocating money for the current academic year requires overturning the SAC constitution and reopening the 1994-95 contingency fund. This action requires a two-thirds majority vote, Robinson said. Although a motion was introduced early in the meeting to overturn the constitution and reexamine funding for The Red and Blue, it failed to achieve the necessary two-thirds majority by a wide margin. Later in the meeting, two-thirds of the body did vote to overturn the constitution in order to use the 1995-96 contingency fund to cover allocations necessary for budget appeals. Under the SAC constitution, student groups submit a budget to the Finance Committee requesting money for their activities for the year. The Finance Committee then grants funding based on SAC guidelines and how much money is available. After the budgets are released, groups may appeal the Finance Committee's decision. Finance Committee Chairperson David Shapiro, a College and Wharton sophomore, said only $515 -- less than usual -- was available for appeals because the Undergraduate Assembly cut SAC's overall funding by 11 percent for next year. The Red and Blue Editor-in-Chief Thor Halvorssen, a College junior, said he was frustrated by SAC's decision, but added that his magazine will publish an issue next week. "It's ongoing proof of an inconceivable double standard," he said. "Judge us on the next issue. Don't censor us because you do not like what we write." Halvorssen said the money to print next week's issue of The Red and Blue came from "lovers of liberty." He added that SAC's decision to overturn the constitution for their own budget appeals showed bias against the magazine. But Robinson denied the accusation, calling it a "very, very incorrect piece of analysis." Robinson said the body has traditionally been reluctant to take money from an upcoming year's budget to fund emergency requests by any group. He added that using contingency monies to fund budget appeals has become "standard procedure for SAC." And he said he thinks The Red and Blue will receive SAC funding next year. "The Red and Blue, like any other organization, will be almost certain to get contingency money in September and be a very viable organization next year," Robinson said. Eight SAC groups appealed the Finance Committee's budget decisions. But only the Symphony Orchestra and the Engineering Student Activities Council received the full amount requested in their appeals. African Rhythms and the International Affairs Association both received less funding than originally requested on appeal. And the American Medical Students Association and Students Together Against Acquaintance Rape were denied any additional funding. The SAC body voted to approve all other groups' budgets automatically, skipping the budget challenge portion of the meeting, in which each group's budget would have been scrutinized and challenged by other groups. Shapiro also announced at the meeting that the SAC Finance seat previously held by UA Treasurer and College freshman Steve Schorr would go to Wharton junior David Harrison. As UA treasurer, Schorr, a Daily Pennsylvanian sports writer, has an automatic seat on SAC Finance.

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