While SFB waffled on how many participants of Union Latina should be sent to a conference, the motion to send eight people for $6,752 won out 11-3-0.
After debating how many students may reasonably attend the same conference, SFB approved $6,732 to help send eight participants to a week-long race and ethnicity seminar.
Union Latina submitted the proposal in order to attend the 16th annual National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in American Higher Education on May 27-31, in San Francisco.
The application that included 17 participants - two of whom will have graduated before the conference - registration, transportation and related expenses for those students would cost $17,473.
The group asked SFB to approve $15,195 of that cost, saying the participants would make up the remainder out of pocket.
"This is the first time the College opened it up to students," Mike Cilia, Student Government Association vice-president of administration of finance, said. "But the numbers and price are too controversial."
SFB decided to cut the list of participants down, on the grounds that no more than two members from each club on the application should attend.
"If you look at the conference schedule, no more than five workshops are happening at one time, so why do you need 12 people?" Jared Bruening, SFB sophomore representative, asked.
SFB members agreed that the conference could prove very influential on student clubs' future programs.
"I'm a huge fan of multicultural programs, and this has the potential to be very beneficial," Melissa Markowitz, senior representative, said. "Particularly since (the conference) is not geared to one ethnic group."
The event includes such workshops as "managing and preventing incidents of racial and ethnic conflict on campus."
SFB also voted on Men's and Women's Volleyball, in separate requests to attend the same national tournament, April 9-13 in Ohio. The Women's Club requested $4,610, and SFB approved $3,771 after increasing each attendee's personal contributions to $60.
Of the request, SFB approved $2,892.
The two groups had differing monetary amounts because the men's group diverted $1,100 toward the cost by using money approved on tournaments that were since cancelled.
Kate Pezzimenti, SFB representative at large, said the women secured cheaper airfare than the men did. Pezzimenti added that the members could also drive the eight hours to Ohio.
SFB decided to reimburse one student $175 for her conference's registration, but not transportation costs.
Rachel Holden, a senior and member of the Jewish Student Union, has attended the Koach Kallah conference three times, but SFB said her request was reasonable and approved it.
