Student government leaders approved the Associated Students of Madison internal budget for the 2013-14 year Tuesday.
Funding for Varsity Day, the end of the year speaker event that brought in Neil deGrasse Tyson last year, was a major point of debate among the ASM Coordinating Council members but in the end the event’s funding was approved.
ASM Chair Andrew Bulovsky said he is excited funding for the event was approved because of its significance for students on campus.
“This is an opportunity for campus to actually benefit from something student government does, and it’s a way for students to understand and start to appreciate what the student government has done for them and what it can do for them,” Bulovsky said.
The event also serves as an example of student power on campus, according to Bulovsky.
“The ability that students have this control over their segregated fees to a point where they can just make this line item for a speaker and do something incredible for campus is very unique to this state in general,” Bulovsky said.
Additionally, council members increased funding to the ASM Director of Staff and Programs position from $60,000 to $65,000, which will allow ASM to find a better candidate to serve students, Bulovsky said.
“I’m happy the director of staffing program is being paid more for their more marketable position, it makes the position more competitive,” Bulovsky said.
Bulovsky said he is satisfied with this year’s budget overall, which totaled $1.28 million, an increase of roughly $15,000 from last year.
The budget proposal will appear before Student Council on Oct. 31 and must be passed by Nov. 15.
