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By Todd Hardy
Arizona Daily Wildcat
November 14, 1996
Associated Students, citing a 30 percent budget cut this year, has decided to eliminate funding for UA sport clubs beginning next year, ASUA announced yesterday.In a Nov. 7 memorandum, Erin Russell, vice president for clubs and organizations, said she will cut $5,000 this year from the $15,000 that is given annually to sport clubs. Next year, club sports will be completely eliminated from the ASUA budget.
Russell said the budget cut was the primary reason for cutting funds to club sports.
"My pot is smaller than it was last year, so there is less money for all of the clubs," she said.
Russell said all clubs will be affected by the budget cuts. ASUA, however, recently gave the Bobcats Senior Honorary nearly double the amount they received last year. Bobcats is a group of 13 seniors selected each year to work with the Alumni Association in organizing Homecoming.
Russell said that Bobcats, and all other clubs, receive funding on a case by case basis. She said there was no correlation between the cut of sport club funding and the increase in funding to Bobcats.
Russell said sport clubs were targeted for cuts instead of other clubs because of the liability associated with some of their activities.
"I am concerned about sport club funding and I wish I could help them more," Russell said. "Unfortunately, we will not be transferring any more money to them because of the liability."
Some sport club representatives are taking the budget cuts as a direct insult to their organization.
David Reines, president of the fencing club, said sport clubs compete as representatives of the University of Arizona.
"For them to cut our funding means they no longer want us to represent them," he said.
Reines said his club needs ASUA funding to pay for new equipment.
"Without funding we are forced to use old equipment that is basically useless," he said.
Reines said that most of the fencing club's 20-year-old equipment is becoming faulty. He said the equipment could break and possibly injure a fencer.
Jenine Fraser, a women's rugby club representative, said she thinks sport clubs were unfairly targeted for budget cuts.
"To me it doesn't seem fair that we are getting cut because they (ASUA) didn't plan their budget right."
She said the rugby club raises a lot of money to pay for travel, lodging, and other team expenses. ASUA funding has traditionally gone toward entry fees for tournaments, Fraser said.
"This budget cut will make things much more difficult," she said.
Mary O'Mahoney, program coordinator for the Student Recreation Center, said the budget cuts are unjustified.
"I don't think they (ASUA) realize the impact that sport clubs have as far as being ambassadors for this university all across the country," she said. "Now, some of the smaller clubs are at risk of having to pay all expenses out of their own pockets."
O'Mahoney said she wants to plan a meeting with Russell and the sport club representatives to discuss the budget cuts.
"If nothing else," she said, "we as a club organization can list the reasons why we are opposed to this and find out why sport clubs are being singled out."
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