By Peter Wright

Correction appended.With only a few weeks left in the fall semester, the Financial Affairs Commission is about to release the final spring budgets for Macalester student organizations.

Each organization drafted a budget and submitted it by Nov. 12 to the FAC, which determines the groups’ final budgets. The organizations submitted revised budgets by Nov. 21.

According to preliminary FAC records, special events rank high in budget requests from the organizations. Macalester Peace and Justice Committee requested $500 to invite a speaker to a student strike in March marking the 5th anniversary of the war in Iraq. MASECA requested $735.09 for Holi, a Hindu spring celebration the group described as a “festival of color,” which has been celebrated for several years at Macalester.

FAC Chair Henrik Hakonsen said the FAC is still auditing student organizatons’ budget requests.

At the meeting of the Macalester College Student Government on Nov. 20, budgets took the center stage when the FAC board members Rudy Marmol ’10 and Frederik Flagstad ’08 presented the board with several proposals from different organizations that needed special approval.

The largest amount of money approved at the MCSG meeting was $1,339.96 for the Mac DJ Club. Stuart Hudson ’08, co-president of the DJ Club, said the money would be spent on new speakers, a new mixing board and a 10-inch mixer case. Hudson said that the new speakers will allow the college to spend less on renting equipment because the new speakers can fill a space more easily than the current speakers, and the additional speakers will allow them to set-up in two places at once if necessary.

MCSG President Franz Meyer ’09, however, noted some potential for student organizations to work outside their outlined budgetary needs.

“Whenever we sign money over on things, we don’t know exactly what they will spend the money on,” Meyer said.

In addition to the pre-approved budgets, the FAC has told organizations that if any unexpected expenses develop, the groups can submit forms for additional allocations throughout the semester.

Once a public database of expenses is ready, it will be available as an Excel file for public viewing on the FAC’s Web site: http://www.macalester.edu/mcsg/fac.html.

Correction: The above article originally misstated the amount of money the Mac DJ Club requested from Macalester College Student Government. The group requested $1,339.96, not $8,339.96.