Does the newly formed student group Leaders INspiring Connections, formerly Veishea Inc., actually have the same goals and purposes as its predecessor?

The Government of the Student Body has been faced with this question ever since LINC’s conception, GSB officials said, and its answer may put GSB funding for LINC on the line.

Veishea Inc. was the student leadership group that organized Veishea activities, but now that the festival has been suspended for 2005, group members said they wanted to change the group’s name while still providing leadership opportunities for students.

Recently, LINC made its transition by officially changing the student group’s name and converting the Veishea festival’s funds into its own bank accounts, said Ashley Glade, LINC co-chairwoman. However, GSB Speaker of the Senate Henry Alliger and Finance Director Kristi Kramer said they had concerns about LINC’s use of GSB funds slated for Veishea activities.

“We need to consider whether or not we think they are the same entity,” Alliger said. “Their purpose is still to provide leadership, but now they are doing different events.”

Laura Bestler-Wilcox, LINC adviser, said that although LINC is no longer associated with the Veishea spring festival, the two groups are essentially the same in purpose.

“What we’re trying to do is make sure that people differentiate between the student leadership who has, in the past, staged Veishea events and the actual festival,” Bestler-Wilcox said. “Student groups are still working with us to put on events throughout the year. Even though a festival is not taking place, our tradition of leadership is continuing.”

Alliger said that he, Kramer and Jason Carroll, vice chairman of the GSB finance committee, met with Glade and other members of LINC leadership Monday to talk about the reallocation and use of GSB funds slated for Veishea.

“About $12,000 of the money we allocated them was for rental items, things LINC will no longer need,” Alliger said. “But we do still want to work with them so they can keep most of that.”

If LINC meets the same criteria as Veishea Inc. did to receive GSB funds, Alliger said, there will be less to consider as far as funding. But if they find LINC is essentially a different organization, then GSB funding priorities could change, he said. Before that distinction is decided, Alliger said he has requested that LINC create its own bank accounts, leaving Veishea money in the Veishea bank accounts and doing line-item transfers from those accounts.

In a discussion with the GSB finance committee Monday, Kramer and Alliger asked the committee to consider a few options LINC may have to still qualify for funds.

“We could reclaim the money, put it back into the special allocations account and have them go through the process all over again,” Alliger said. “Or we could go through line items, where the senate will pick through everything. Either way, they will need to reallocate the money.”