Registered Student Organizations hoping for more money from the Undergraduate Student Government may want to get toward the front of the line.

Whitney Weller, USG finance committee's chairwoman, said nearly $40,000 is still available to be distributed among the RSOs for the semester.

Weller, a junior studying elementary education, said RSOs with budgets cut in August would have an equal chance to apply for the money, as would any of the other 401 organizations.

Krystin McDermott, vice chairwoman of the finance committee, described applying for the money as "first-come, first-serve."

"Honestly, I think it's the fairest way we came up with," said McDermott, a pre-major sophomore from Gurnee.

USG approved the distribution of more than $13,000 at its Sept. 10 meeting, according to Student Development records.

The revelation of available funds has sent RSO leaders, such as Cergio Brown of Student Programming Council, into a frenzy to get their budget requests together before money runs out.

SPC was one of the 17 RSOs to receive a 10 percent budget cut from a temporary finance committee on Aug. 23. Brown, who was appointed SPC's executive director last week, said the cut cost the organization more than $18,000. SPC supports events including the Sunset Concert Series, SPC-TV, film showings in the Student Center auditorium and several Homecoming events.

"We had to either eliminate or cut from committees," Brown said.

Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority received $3,812 to host its Fall Week, and the Skydivers RSO was allocated $1,775 to freefall into the area around McAndrew Stadium during a football game.

Weller said an RSO must apply for the funds 30 days before the event occurs.

McDermott, who chaired the temporary August finance committee, said she did not want to take promised funds back from the RSOs, but was forced to do so after last year's committee failed to follow funding guidelines. Miscalculations by last year's finance committee caused USG to take back the money it had already promised the 17 RSOs.

Weller, a junior studying elementary education, said she did not want to seem cheap, but restoring an honest government is top priority.

"We have had to say 'no' to organizations used to hearing 'yes' all the time," Weller said. "I'm not here to be anybody's friend. I am here to get a job done."

This article was provided by: Daily Egyptian Siude
Written by: Barton Lorimor