With discussion of campus climate at UW-Madison drawing strong emotions from all sides, the Student Services Finance Committee heard the budget proposal for the Multicultural Student Coalition Wednesday. About 50 students attended.
A number of students, some of whom were in tears, voiced concern about the racial atmosphere on campus during the open-forum portion of the meeting.
MCSC's proposed budget is $977,418, with a large portion to be allocated to 44 paid staff positions.
Tshaka Barrows, chair of MCSC, said the budget proposal was \well researched and well thought-out,"" addressing what ""most administrative offices shy away from.""
MCSC members and supporters outlined the services the organization provides, detailing its 10 service divisions: educational affairs, diversity education, finance, housing, human resources and development, media, planning and programming, projects and info, management of information and technologies, and staff recruitment.
One concrete example of MCSC's education of students was a video documentary made by members last Halloween to demonstrate the holiday's ""corrosive"" atmosphere on campus. The video featured footage of costumes its creators found offensive, ranging from drunken Indians to a male with Chinese take-out boxes and a hat from Vietnam. MCSC showed the video Monday in collaboration with the Campus Women's Center in an attempt to educate the student body.
""Students of color hate Halloween here,"" said Patricia Kim, MCSC outreach officer.
Hate-crimes on campus are another area the organization would like to address, said Pabitra Benjamin, United States Student Association campus organizer and a speaker at the hearing. She said students of color are targeted in a number of ways on this campus, including through student newspapers and general ignorance of other cultures among the student body.
She said MCSC is a place where students of color can go and feel safe to discuss these issues and report things happening to them. She said the organization also educated the community as to what hate crimes are and how to prevent them.
""That's a lot of different areas to cover. That's why we're asking for 44 [paid staff members],"" she said. ""We're trying to move campus climate to a better place.""
Theresa Vidaurri, MCSC vice chair, said the organization's services were ""desperately needed.""
Joe Moschella, a UW-Madison Law School student and former SSFC member, said during the open forum that he was opposed to funding the budget proposal for MCSC, a group with ""zero accountability.""
""While the MCSC has a noble cause ... [to fund the group fully] is essentially pouring money down a rat hole that has no internal structure,"" he said.
Nidhi Kashyap, a UW-Madison junior, disagreed, saying she thought any group that ""took the initiative"" like MCSC deserved every penny it asks for.
""This is an organization that's making my degree here worth more,"" she said. ""It's almost as if a hearing isn't necessary.""
One UW-Madison student who attended the meeting said he wasn't sure how much value diversity added to his diploma. He said he couldn't justify funding the group almost $1 million.
Corey Manly, a UW-Parkside student, spoke of his student government, the majority of which is comprised of students of color or women, he said. This diverse government was achieved through funding campus groups of students of color.
""I don't think that just because I am white that the MCSC doesn't serve me,"" said Vicki Bomber, a UW-Madison junior. ""It serves me the most.\
