The Programs Finance Committee continued budget hearings Tuesday, allocating $22,222 to the Student Insurgent and $19,763 to the Survival Center, among others.
“I’m really happy; they gave us almost our entire request,” Co-Director of the Survival Center Mariah Thompson said. Most of the increase is going to funding anti-oppression and anti-racism events. “We’re looking to work with other groups, like the Multicultural Center, on these issues, so you can be expecting more in that area for next year.”
Former PFC Chair Devon Duquette stepped down as chairperson earlier in the day yesterday, and PFC Vice Chair Kamal Ararso took over his position of running the hearings.
Duquette remained on the committee. His letter of resignation stated personal issues and time commitments as his reasons for stepping down as chair.
“At this time, I cannot handle the position with the diligent attention and time that this committee deserves,” he said in an e-mail addressed to the PFC. “I apologize for the inconvenience at this time, during the beginning of budget hearings, I just cannot dedicate the time that being a chairperson demands.”
After the hearings, the committee voted to make Ararso the chair and to postpone the voting of vice chair until the next meeting.
Following the hearings, members of the PFC discussed a concern brought up by Steve Morozumi of the Multicultural Center, which had its budget hearing Friday. The committee allocated $115,825 to the center, an increase of 0.34 percent from last year.
In an e-mail addressed to Ararso, Morozumi said that the PFC budget hearing experience “felt like a predominantly white male boys club preordaining no further increase of support for our arduous efforts.”
He went on to question the PFC’s goals.
“Why did the PFC and you (Ararso) allocate practically no increase, given our high spending and ‘acknowledgment’ of our valuable multicultural programming in this stagnantly racist campus — and given the ASUO making no substantial progress on its own ASUO diversity plan?” Morozumi said.
Ararso then forwarded the e-mail to the PFC listserve, which somehow reached the Oregon Commentator.
“A member of the PFC asked to forward it,” Sen. Nick Schultz said. “When I told this individual not to send it out to the media, I’m assuming they took that advice.”
Schultz was quoted in the article as saying that Morozumi’s remarks were inappropriate, a statement by which he stands.
“In my opinion, I didn’t feel like they were appropriate,” Schultz said.
Ararso has responded to Morozumi by showing support for the Multicultural Center, as well as the position the PFC is in with the limited budget. Schultz also said he left a message with Morozumi hoping to discuss the matter.
“He does have legitimate concerns, and I genuinely want to better understand where he’s coming from and solve the discrepancies.”
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