The Student Association Finance Committee voted to give $2,465 to the National Pan-Hellenic Council and $474 to the Hong Kong Student Association Tuesday night, despite discrepancies in both groups’ proposals.

HKSA was zero funded last year after requesting $1,870, but the finance committee considered its appeal and voted to give the group $474.

“I’m sure any money that goes to the things they budgeted for will drastically improve the organization,” SA Treasurer Drew Josephson said.

Included in the approved budget is $90 for HKSA to purchase six Chinese films on DVD to show publicly on campus. The SA did not, however, provide funding for HKSA to purchase licenses to publicly show the movies.

According to the Web site of Swank Motion Pictures Inc., movies purchased at retail stores are not cleared for public performances at colleges because proper licensing fees have not been paid to the copyright holder.

HKSA President Siu Kit Lo was not aware of any licensing fees associated with public performances.

“We haven’t looked in to it, but I’ll look into it,” Lo said.

He also said HKSA probably will not be able to have its public showings if required to pay additional licensing fees.

Josephson said he believes HKSA will be within copyright laws if the movies are played in a classroom because he has watched movies in some of his classes. Josephson, however, is not completely sure.

“I don’t know all the specific laws,” he said.

NPHC originally requested $4,965 in additional funding to pay for event security. NPHC already has been allocated $2,925 by the SA for this year.

NPHC President Demetrius Harvey told the finance committee that NPHC currently charges $7 to $10 for events; however, NPHC Treasurer Danaya Merrills-Simmons previously told the Northern Star that NPHC charges up to $6 for its events. Both Harvey and Merrills-Simmons noted the exception of NPHC’s Homecoming event at the Convocation Center that cost $15 per person.

SA Senator Steven Illingworth originally suggested the request be cut to $2,465 because NPHC could raise an additional $2,500 by increasing the ticket price for events by $1. An increase of $2 would completely raise the needed funds to pay for security and eliminate the need for additional SA funding, but Illingworth did not want the cost for events to be more than $10, based on ticket price information provided by Harvey.

Illingworth said his opinion might have changed if he had been told the events usually do not cost more than $6.

“I would have to think through it and see the numbers; but possibly, yes, $6 to $8 isn’t that big of a jump in my opinion,” Illingworth said.

Harvey also told the finance committee that NPHC’s full request also was needed to prevent an increase in ticket prices; however, Merrills-Simmons previously told the Northern Star that NPHC will be charging admission for its end of the year party, regardless of SA action because of the increased costs of security. The event has been free in the past.

All recommendations of the finance committee go before the SA Senate for approval before funding is distributed.