The proposal came from the Student Association Senate, which decided at its Jan. 28 meeting to continue funding four groups individually instead of combining them into one student-run diversity center. ,”

After being bombarded with e-mails and phone calls from angry students, UWM Student Association President Samantha Prahl reversed her plan to veto a proposal for individual funding for several student groups.

The proposal came from the Student Association Senate, which decided at its Jan. 28 meeting to continue funding four groups individually instead of combining them into one student-run diversity center.

Prahl said 80 percent of the $13.05 taken from each student's tuition to fund these groups is used for professional funding.

"We're spending far too much on salaries. The money should go to programming," Prahl said.

She said she plans to bring this up again with the student senate, regardless of yesterday's decision.

Lauren Ott, issues director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Center, said she discovered that Prahl was planning to veto the decision to supply funding to the LGBT Center, LINKS Peer Outreach and Mentoring Center, the Women's Resource Center and the Center for Volunteerism & Student Leadership during a meeting with Prahl Wednesday morning.

After the meeting, Ott sent e-mails and made phone calls urging students to voice their opinion against the veto. Students rallied to the cause, and after an hourlong meeting with Ott and the issues directors of the Women's Resource Center, the multicultural center and two student senators, Prahl reversed her decision.

Denying the groups funding would have saved UWM students $13.05 in fees.

Ott said Prahl originally planned to form one diversity center that would house all these groups and be run by a single graduate student. Currently, each group is run by students and trained professionals. According to Ott, this is better for the students because the professionals have connections with the Milwaukee community and required experience. Ott added that a graduate student trained to deal with one issue might not have experience dealing with another.

"Just because a person is diverse doesn't mean he necessarily appreciates diversity in other people," Ott said. "For example, just because you're gay doesn't mean you can't be racist."

“