Numerous funding applications and a long and detailed budget discussion were just a few of the items on the agenda at Wednesday’s Associated Students, Inc. meeting.

During the public comment session, political science major Melissa Mata, who works at the Maddy Institute, a public policy institute on the Fresno State campus, had a question concerning a budget request the institute had submitted for $10,000. However, the proposed ASI budget allots only $5,000.

Mata asked the senate to cut the $10,000 budgeted for Lobby Corps, a program which teaches Fresno State students progressive lobbying tactics, and to give the full $10,000 to the Maddy Institute.

Graduate student Hector Cerda approached the microphone, accompanied by political science major Manny Moon, ASI financial committee member Jose Nava and one other man. All four were carrying burlap sacks with dollar signs drawn on them.

“We want to tell the ASI senate that we want our money back,” Cerda said. “We’re tired of the ASI senate spending our money on wasteful projects.”

William Mask and Randy Wolter of Phi Alpha Theta addressed the senate concerning their request to bring Dr. Marianna Muravyeva from Helsinki, Finland, to give a presentation on women and sexism in Russian culture.

Two ASI senators were appointed to committees. Parmita Choudhury, senator at-large for Student Clubs and Organizations, was appointed to the personnel committee, and Brandi Jacobs, senator of the College of Social Sciences, was appointed to the legal committee.

The senate voted down a funding application for $1,025 for a Hispanic Business Student Association mixer. The request had not been submitted within the required timeline.

The senate did approve Phi Alpha Theta’s funding application for $1,010. Dr. Muravyeva will lecture in the history and criminology departments and will give a presentation for the entire campus in April.

The Fresno State men’s and women’s rugby teams received approval from the senate on their funding requests for league dues and equipment.

A long and tedious discussion of the proposed budget and a seemingly endless number of funding applications took their toll as several members of the senate asked to excuse themselves from the meeting, leaving just 11 senators to continue.