The Undergraduate Student Government Senate debated last night whether to give money to provide information for rape victims.

The senate was asked to provide $700 toward the production of cards that list resources for victims of rape. The cards, known as "rape cards," are produced by the Center for Women Students, which is part of the Division of Student Affairs.

Senate decided to take no action on the request and voted to table the bill.

According to the funding request, the Center for Women Students donated 5,000 cards in the past and less than 1,000 remain. Town Sen. Bridget Van Osten said the Center for Women Students cannot afford to make another 5,000 cards and if the senate did not give the money, the cards would not be reprinted. Town Sen. Steph Wood added that the Association of Residence Hall Students offered to match a USG donation so the total cost of $1,500 to print the cards would essentially be met.

Other senators said that USG should not be providing money to Student Affairs, and the cards were unnecessary.

Town Sen. Jason Covener said it was "ridiculous" that Student Affairs cannot pay to print the cards.

"The simple fact is, it's incredible we should be requested to fund Student Affairs," Covener said.

Van Osten said Student Affairs does not get a lot of money to begin with, and the Center for Women Students gets a small part of the Student Affairs budget.

Covener said that the information on the card is readily available on campus and well known already.

"You call the police," Covener said. "It's common sense."

North Halls Sen. Jason Pliska asked Covener if he was a woman, to which Covener responded that his opinion on the issue was no less valid because he was a man.

"No I'm not a woman." Covener said. "If the best counter you can come up with is 'are you a woman?' that shows it's a weak bill and we shouldn't fund it."

Pliska said it is often not easy for rape victims to call the police. He added that the other phone numbers mentioned on the card, including medical and psychological services on and off campus, made it worthwhile for the senate to fund.

"We should be compelled as a body to spend a measly $700," Pliska said. "This is a service that we as a senate should provide to the students."

Van Osten said some of the victims of the sexual assaults in the dorms earlier this semester did not know where to turn for help. Some did not know they could call 911 from their dorm room phones, she added.

"Do you realize that freshmen don't have the understanding of where to turn?" she asked.

Town Sen. Rob Michaels questioned if students even look at the cards, telling a story about his sister and her stolen purse. He said he gave her a list of instructions of what to do if your purse is stolen. After the incident happened, he asked her what she did with the list and she said she had thrown it out.

"I don't think, by any means, we should be funding this," Michaels said.