FUSG approves nearly $29,000 fall 2022 budget

Christopher Dacanay
Sports Editor

Franciscan University Student Government (FUSG) passed its budget for the fall 2022 semester at its 11 a.m. meeting Wednesday.

FUSG passed budgets for individuals clubs and for the semester as a whole. The total funds allotted for the semester were just under $29,000.

This is an increase from spring 2022’s budget of about $27,000. Junior Sen. Preston Pelishek said this is because more clubs formed this semester, and clubs, in general, have seen an increase in membership.

Baron Brigade received $1,900, the most of any individual club. The second highest budget went to the Veritas Society, which was given $1,875. The Outdoors Club received $1,800.

The Knights of Columbus forfeited their budget, unprompted. Franciscan’s Juventutem chapter saw a 64% cut, receiving $200 instead of a requested $555. The Chesterton Society also received a 63% cut, from $940 to $350. Both cuts were due to the unplanned nature of the budget items they requested.

FUSG passed its own $12,640 budget, down 19% from a requested $15,690, and print budget of $1,100, which is meant to be used by all clubs. Student government executive stipends accounted for $4,100, which accounted for nearly 1/7 of the entire budget allocated to all clubs.

Senior Treasurer Molly Propson said the contingency funds amount to $2,539.29, and the total funds spent this semester equal $12,164.60.

Other legislation:
Spring Bill 88 allocated $950 to FUSG for a graduating student advice booklet, comprised of advice collected from alumni and staff and distributed to graduating students. The bill was amended from its original $1,250.
Spring Bill 85 reallocated $400 of Vero l’Alto’s budget from purchasing snacks to covering the campsite, food and firewood for a multi-day hiking trip.
Spring Bill 86 reallocated $244.28 of Turning Point USA’s budget. The funds would have covered a speaker, but they were moved to the purchase of a tablet for official club use. Spring Bill 87 also reallocated the speaker funds to the purchase of items for a table display.
Spring Bill 83 allocated $200 to the Catholic Agrarian Club for a trip to the Dougherty Family Homestead.
Spring Bill 84 allocated $59.99 to FUSG to purchase an Everlast speed bag because the one from Spring Bill 59 did not fit Physical Plant’s specifications for Finnegan Fieldhouse’s Flexibility and Training Room.
Spring Bill 81 reimbursed junior Aidan Gavin, chief justice emeritus, $57.54 for pizza purchased for the student government election’s vote counters.
Spring Bill 82 reallocated $50 of the International Coffee Club’s budget from purchasing beans to designing and purchasing custom mugs for members.

Graduate student Sen. Naomi Tatro was absent and unexcused.

FUSG meets every Wednesday at 11 a.m. in the St. Leo Room of the J.C. Williams Center.