Last night the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) Senate denied funds to the production of The Vagina Monologues because of the need to finance the upcoming USG elections, despite helping to fund the production in the past.

East Halls Sen. Keith Crouse said although he regrets the decision to deny funds to the production, elections are more important. "I'd rather see [USG] live to see another day," Crouse said.

The Vagina Monologues Director Rachel Kugelman said that while she understands Senate's position, she is still disappointed.

"People do recognize how important it is," Kugelman said. "Many other organizations on campus wanted to help."

Kugelman said University Health Services (UHS) and Association of Residence Hall Students (ARHS) each gave $500, and cast members asked family and friends to donate to the production.

For the cast of The Vagina Monologues, everything will end "happily ever after," Kugelman said. "The Monologues will go on [without USG funding]."

Senate President Chris Owens said the problem lies within the activity funding structure. The Senate has a lot of money in the beginning of the year, and they give it away to whoever requests it first, he said.

He emphasized that account deficits do not hinder the workings of the Senate. "We don't just delegate money," Owens said. "We do not act as a junior [University Park Allocation Committee]."

The Senate passed legislation last night that put $1,000 in the USG election fund. Even added to the $1,500 already in that account, more money is still needed to pay for all the components of the upcoming USG elections.

Since money is still needed, Crouse said he advocates denying groups funding for the rest of the semester. "We don't have much of a choice," he said.

Other senators are angry that USG elections cost so much.

"It is incredibly sad that we can't even fund ourselves or pay our taxes," East Halls Sen. Matt Ritsko said.

USG Treasurer Andrew Reeve doubts the Senate's account will become a deficit. There is still money coming in from bus sales and the Aéropostale sale in the HUB Robeson Center, he said.

The reason that the account funds are so low is because last year's bus sales were a lot more successful than this year's, Reeve said.

Another reason, he said, is the unprofitable calendar sales of last year's USG Senate.

Too many calendars were ordered and not sold, and only one person wanted to advertise, he said.

"Last year, the calendar sales run very poorly," Reeve said. "There was no profit made."