Students say no to more club funding

For a second time in two semesters, Concordia students rejected a referendum question that would have increased the funding for non-academic clubs.
“It’s always touchy [subject] because it means that every student will be paying more from their own pockets,” said Patrice Blais, the interim CSU president. He added students are reluctant to help when they do not know what they are being asked.
Blais said it is up to clubs and the student union to promote the clubs and explain why they need funding. With last month’s elections, everyone was preoccupied with their own campaigns, said Blais, and people were unable to offer as much help as they wanted.
“These questions are always better asked in the fall then right now,” said Blais.
Blais won a seat on the council of representatives and he wants to help clubs with their funding. He wants to show them clearly were to get all their sources of funding, in the student union and from the dean of students.
The same question was asked at last November’s byelection. The margin of people voting in favour of clubs was higher than this time around.
The elections being over, (forty six per cent then, compared to 44 per cent now.) more people are willing to help. “I think we would like to start off a club council so that they could handle the money and how it gets distributed,” said Sabine Friesinger, CSU president-elect.
If this council is started, they will be in charge of all club funding. They will take the money the clubs get and will distribute it according to the size of the club, the amount of equipment the club needs and the amount of club members.
“It’s just a question of managing the funds we have,” said Friesinger.
Every year the funds have gone up, said Blais, and for now it is just the matter of getting them to keep on doing so.
In comparison to other universities, Concordia receives about a quarter of the amount of funding for their clubs. But until the next elections little can be done.
“When students vote no to a question, it means they are not ready,” said Blais. “So we will try again, do it better and hopefully next time get it.”