ASF Budget Committee votes 6-5 to not fund MSC Funding Board in next budget

What if SGA kept the MSC funding board and then put only white people on it. Would all you MSC members still be upset with the decision to zero-fund it? It's still segregating out event-funding based on "culture" just like you want... so it's completely fine, right? RIGHT??? This has NOTHING to do with race and JUST deals with culture after all, right? RIGHT???

And all you cabinet members who keep talking crap about other cabinet members deserved to be fired. Disagree with the decision, fine, but for you to slander other cabinet members is atrocious and would get you fired in any "real-world" job... just count your lucky stars that you just work for silly Student Government and you're nothing but a bunch of petty students in petty jobs with no accountability and can somehow manage to still be paid while spouting this crap across the internet.

I'm just glad I don't have to deal with this crap and am long gone from UCF... MSC wasn't perfect when I was around either, but this is ridiculous. Good luck fooling yourselves for another few years.

No one (including Kersti) ever mentioned anything about "black" organizations and the MSC funding board process. (Looks like someone needs Diversity Training with Michael Freeman!) The funding board was created to assist the cultural organizations (ALL of them not just the "black" ones) in ensuring their cultural event was given the proper attention and worth through its cultural value. The majority of the senators could care less about the important cultural aspects and details that go within a cultural event and the MSC funding board helped bridge that gap. I don't consider giving a cultural event the proper attention that is deserves segregation.

I know how the MSC funding board operates and despite been given little to no training, they have done a phenomenal job and did their best with what they had. Diversity and culture has gotten a lot of attention recently in the UCF community because clearly, it was lacking these 2 fundamental pillars that the world is now incorporating. We, as the 3rd largest school in the nation NEED to realize the importance of this and promote it, NOT demote it like what members of senate did.

The MSC funding board listens to allocations and bills from organizations deemed cultural by SGA. I think that the MSC is an agency on campus who is trying to promote diversity and culture hence, it should be given the opportunity to fund the organizations that it feels deserves to be funded. I can certainly say that most, if not all of the members who sit on senate are not culturally open and diversity is definitely not one of their friends. Therefore, they should let the MSC do what it does best and that is, to promote culture and diversity on campus which would lead to UCF being a more appealing campus than it is now.

While the world progresses and embraces differences in culture, it is as though senate feels threatened by it. It almost seems to me that it is not about how much efficiency or money is being sacrificed, it is more of a competition between the MSC funding board and FAO/Senate. Why can't senate see OTHER students taking leadership positions such as that of the MSC funding board? Why does Senate WANT to control everything?
I don't think there is possibly any way that an argument like "Funds are not being allocated well" or "Organizations are having too much trouble going through the MSC funding board" makes sense whatsoever. The RSO's used to go to FAO/Senate, now they go to the MSC funding board- IT IS THE SAME DIFFERENCE!!!

Whoever on senate voted is bound to their opinion however, it needs to be understood that a valid point should be debated and not flimsy "Oh it's too much of a hassle for RSO's" excuses. UCF stands for opportunity; please do us a favor Senate and let's not change our UCF chant!!!

Before I took my position within SGA I really considered the cultural differences and the image I had of SGA. I feel that diversity education and fiscal working knowledge of where student funds are allocated was a primary purpose of student government. Yet in still the miscommunication exists because people within SGA have yet to understand that you cannot vote or zero fund a particular entity without assessing the definition of what is working. Everyone knows senate FAO could decide on this Great we got it. That is not the point. This was an avenue and an outlet for the multicultural community to expand upon. Flip-flop voting of presidents and senate leaders is NOT appreciated.

No one questions senate or any other entity of SGA because it has been given the proper time and RESPECT to be structurally sound and stable in the message that it sends to students. The Berkowitz administration placed this on the Peterson administration to work with the Funding Board and assess its progress, and this administration has in turn FAILED in doing so. As student leaders our duty is to educate students on the funding process what it entails and let students decide what is best for them. The MSC is an agency, and has RSO'S under its umbrella so I see no problem with allowing this agency IF GIVEN THE PROPER STRUCTURAL BASIS to fund organizations and provide them with other avenues outside the politically controversial world of senate.

This vote seriously cripples what some senators thought would help to bridge the gap between the MSC and SGA. I am saddened that such people voted on a matter whom have never stepped into the MSC or attended any particular event prior to this semester. I applaud those advocates in the meeting who were open to possibilities and the growth potential of the MSC AND frown upon those individuals who complain of something "not working" when they have never stepped outside of the committee boxes to offer a helping hand or inquire about something that should always be included in any administration: diversity of opinions, ideas, and acknowledgement of cultural differences.

The MSC Funding Board funds Cultural Events NOT Cultural Organizations. MSC/MSC Funding Board are not segregating cultural organization from regular RSO's. To compare the funding board to Brown vs. Board of Education is insulting and a bit of a stretch. The MSC funding board aims to bring the best of both world of Senate, and their knowledge of funding and allocations with the MSC and their expertise in cultural programming and the importance of cultural events. I am not sure what "multicultral leaders" you have spoken with but they certainly do not speak for all, trust me there are a lot of cultural organizations at UCF that I have spoken with who are outraged at the zero-funding of the board.

My Opinion:
The Logan Berkowitz/Brandon Delanois Administration created the MSC funding board to combat the distaste and lack of satifaction cultural RSO's felt toward the current process of senate and the lack of attention they were recieving from their senators/representatives. SGA and MSC held open forums throughout the year to directly ask the student body and RSO's how they felt about this new concept. It was met with great reviews, hence why SGA/MSC moved forward with it. Come April, the Berkowitz/Delanois Admistration was no where to be found, and the funding board was dropped into MSC's lap. The MSC, being used to adapting to change (The have been an agency since 2003 and has seen changes to it each almost every year, can the same be said about any other agencies?) has seen this funding board through only to have be labeled "meaningless bureaucratic nonsense” by SGA Comptroller and to have the current Student Body President vote against it within the Peterson/Andrick Administration. So much for showing support and standing by your agency , an agency I might add that was directly created by SGA. And so much for consulting your student body, especially the minority students and cultural RSO's which this vote affects.

I have had plently of debates with senators, including Senate Pro Temp, Josh Miller concerning the funding board and their knowledge of their RSO's. I directly asked the Senate Pro Temp to name a RSO he assists, he named Club Kreyol. I then proceeded to as the Senate Pro Temp to name a staple event that Club Kreyol does, and he could not even answer it! (BTW...one of many is Club Kreyol's Soiree Kreyol.) I also asked him if he has attended any of the cultural events that MSC or his cultural organizations hosts, he couldn't name one! If we must get rid of the funding board, we at least need to hold our senators more accountable and they need to be more knowledgeable of what goes on around this university besides Vortex Amazing.

Thanks for taking UCF two steps back not two steps forward in attempting to create a diverse and incusive campus which properly highlights cultural organization through cultural events. Clearly UCF does not stand for opportunity. I am in no way bashing the Peterson/Andrick Administration or senate, because I am a proud member of the executive cabinet. I think we have done and continue to do a great job in providing students with a well rounded colligiate experience. But in regards to the MSC funding board I am completely against some members of my administration and their actions or lack of action in support of the MSC and the MSC Funding Board.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact me at the SGA website www.ucfsga.com or during my office hours SGA office (Rm 214) or MSC office (SU Rm. 153)
And if you are PRO MSC Funding Board please show your support at the next ASF meeting or Senate Meeting Thursday at 7pm where they will approve the new fiscal budget for next year.

The "Mrs. Field's" box you see on the table during the video was NOT doughnuts, it was an assortment of different kinds of cookies. With that said, those cookies were NOT -- and I repeat, were NOT -- funded by ASF. They were bought by our fabulous Chair Biship with HER OWN MONEY.

Think what you want, but don't write bogus facts because you're bitter. Thanks.