So many groups, so little money. The Government of the Student Body finance committee, which is now allocating funds to campus groups for the 1998-99 school year, faces the challenge of a $100,000 deficit.

“There was so much more money requested this year,” said Jeremy Williams, director of finance.

The deficit will make more work for the finance committee to complete the allocation process, but it is not an abnormal occurrence.

“It’s happened in the past,” Williams said. “It’s a common thing.”

In finance hearings held to distribute the money, groups request funding for the next school year which will be taken from the $1.2 million given to GSB in student fees.

However, after holding meetings over the past three weekends, it was discovered that the committee had allocated $100,000 over budget.

Williams said this is only the first round of GSB’s allocation process. In the first round, groups request allocation by telling the committee how much money they need and why. He said GSB tends to be fairly lenient in the first round and often spends over budget.

In the second round, the committee actually determines which organizations will be allocated money and how much each is allocated.

“We call groups back and start cutting out stuff they don’t really need,” Williams said.

The committee, a group of 15 students chaired by Williams, started its elimination and selection process Tuesday night by reviewing every organizations’ budgets.

If members found disposable items, they called the group in to question them for the second round of hearings.

Williams said part of the problem this year is the number of new groups GSB has to fund, particularly religious groups.

Some organizations funded in 1998 include the Committee on Lectures, Student Legal Services, Veishea, the Performing Arts Council, ISU Theater and the Instructional Technology Center.

Rod Morris, finance committee member and junior in computer engineering, was not concerned about the deficit.

“Last year was an exception when we came under budget,” he said.

Bryan Burkhardt, GSB president-elect and another member of the committee, said dealing with going over the budget is just part of the job.

“I see it as a challenge we always have to work through,” Burkhardt, sophomore in computer engineering, said. “It’s a difficult task.”

Morris said spring allocations are an annual process the committee must tackle to try and make Iowa State a better place.

“So much of what the groups ask for will benefit the entire university,” Morris said.

Some of the second-round hearings were held last weekend, and there will be more hearings March 27-28. Those groups who do not receive funding during spring allocations often try to acquire funding through GSB’s senate discretionary fund in the fall.