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Friday, March 29
The Indiana Daily Student

Canvas magazine budget approved

Union Board approved the Canvas magazine committee’s proposed budget of $8,000 on Jan. 22.

Sophomore Austin Atkinson, director of the Canvas committee on Union Board, said the budget consists of $6,500 toward the publication and printing of Canvas magazine and a $1,500 ?buffer.

The buffer is in place for possible mistakes or unforeseen fees in the publication process, he said.

Atkinson said it was difficult to agree on a number to propose because they have to first create the magazine in order to get estimates from printing companies about what the publication ?would cost.

“This budget is entirely for the publication,” he said.

Senior Grace Miller said the Canvas committee is Union Board’s contribution to the arts on campus.

In addition to planning other arts events, Miller said the committee works to select and publish student art submissions that are truly representative of IU for its award-winning magazine each semester.

Miller said she has been involved with Canvas and Union Board since her first semester on campus.

As a former director of Canvas, Miller said she understands the process of budget approval and stays involved to support the ?current director.

Each committee director on the board voted on the budget during their meeting. The vote passed with nine members voting yes, eight members voting no and one abstention.

Adam Fialkowski, vice president of finance for Union Board, said the board had to be critical of what programs were passed because of their new focus on advanced planning.

Although the vote was close, the board felt passing the Canvas magazine added to the tradition and ?diversification of programming for students, he said.

Miller said the directors might have considered funds for other items taking ?precedence to Canvas.

“I think most people do see the importance of it,” Miller said. “But it’s just because we’re in such kind of tight financial constraints right now, they may think that some other things are a little more important.”

Because the Union Board budget is made up of mainly student fee revenue, Miller said the committee gives students a return on their investment with the magazine.

Also at the meeting, the idea of moving the Canvas magazine to a completely digital publication was discussed at the meeting before the vote.

Miller said this could be a detriment to the magazine.

“While I have no problem with there being an online presence, I think there is nothing like holding that magazine in your hands,” ?she said.

She said she worried about the traffic Canvas and its submissions would ?receive.

“I think that were we to not have a physical copy, students would not be as interested in contributing,” she said.

Although the topic triggers much debate, the magazine’s physical iteration ?remains.

Atkinson said he believes the publication deserves this funding because it provides a way of communicating different beliefs and ideas through artistic expression.

“It’s an incredibly personal discipline, but it’s also an incredibly academic and intellectual discipline,” he said. “I think it’s really great to be able to have that available.”

He said he wants to provide students with the opportunity to showcase their art in a successful publication and be a part of the conversation.

“I just think that it represents the interests of the arts community very well, and it gives students really great opportunities,” he said.

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