By Claudia Balthazar and Ben Suazo, Staff Writer and Assistant News Editor

Among other organizations that requested money from the SGA budget this week, Phi Epsilon and its charity spaghetti dinner led to an especially long discussion on Tuesday night.

Phi Epsilon requested $2,454 to fund their 17th annual spaghetti dinner, the proceeds of which go directly to The Miracle Foundation on Long Island. The event aims to raise money for breast cancer research and to give away two scholarships, one within Greek Life and one outside, for two people who have been personally affected by cancer.

Philanthropy Chair of Phi Epsilon and Senator of the Spirit Committee, Briana Pattinson, said in regards to the event, "We have sisters in the sorority whose parents had cancer. This is really to do honor to them and do honor to their families. Everyone's really passionate about this."

After a failed motion to fully fund the dinner, Phi Epsilon was granted $1,837.50 for the charity event, about 75 percent of their requested funding.

"I know we'll get the rest of it some way," said Pattinson, who is co-chairing the dinner. "In years past, I heard that SGA funded [the full dinner costs]. I've never been in this position before."

Senator Alyssa Legnetti said that as a former Appropriations Committee member, she knows how hard it is for the committee to give out money to different clubs each week, especially since they keep a weekly budget to benefit the most clubs in the long run. She said, "It's not anything against the organizations, it's just a straight across-the-board policy to not fund events 100 percent." Legnetti also mentioned that last year the dinner was funded by SGA 75 percent and the other 25 percent came from the separate President's fund, which does not exist this year.

Legnetti stated that the President's fund was used as a last resort to clubs that could not fully fund their events. The distribution of the funds was fully in the discretion of former President Jimmy Wells. In past years, it was never in the policy of Appropriations to completely fund a fundraising event for any club.

This week in the Greenhouse - Tuesday, November 1st

Programming reminded the senate that next week, they will hold events to kick-off the 2011-12 basketball season. Tuesday will begin the week's events with a midnight basketball knockout (starting at 11:00 p.m.) with the Men's Basketball team in Hofstra USA.

Club Relations is working on a Club of the Month program.

Debate was extended several times to decide how much SGA could fund Phi Epsilon’s annual spaghetti dinner, a fundraiser for cancer research. (Cody Heintz/The Chronicle)