At an appeal made during Tuesday’s meeting, the Student Government Association voted unanimously to grant em Magazine $4,945.94—a number considerably lower than the publication’s Nov. 2010 appeal of $10,000, and the April 2011 appeal through which they were granted $9,480. 

The reason for the decrease in requested funds is due to increased fundraising efforts and more money allocated in the yearly budget, according to Justin Reis, co-editor in chief. 

Reis and em Magazine’s treasurer Kimya Kavehkar presented the appeal. The majority of the money, according to Reis, will cover the cost of printing 1,500 copies of this semester’s publication with Journeyman, a printing company based out of Newburyport, Mass. This semester’s issue is due to be launched Dec. 14 and will be the biggest issue yet, with 130 pages, Reis said. 

According to SGA Chief Justice Adriana Guida, em Magazine originally had an appeal date of Nov. 22, but because an inadequate number of SGA voting members could attend the meeting, the appeal had to be postponed.

The postponed appeal date required em Magazine to push back its original printing time—set to take place during Thanksgiving break—to after the approval of the appeal. According to Reis, the magazine launch date also had to be postponed. During the appeal, Reis said that because Journeyman is able to print the issue much quicker than others, it was their preference to get enough funding to choose them, as opposed to a less expensive printer. 

Reis also said that the reason em Magazine has chosen to work with Journeyman again, rather than a cheaper printer, is because they guarantee no extra charges regardless of any potential last-minute mishaps. 

“If [other printers] have to buy a font, or software to interpret an image, we get billed for it,” said Reis, a junior marketing major. “Last semester there was a font issue that would have cost us $750 dollars to buy the font.”

Approximately $400 or the granted funds will go toward the launch party, according to the appeals packet. This year, students who attend the launch party will be able to pick up em Magazine thank you bags in addition to copies of the publication.

Reis said he wants to emphasize the launch party this year, and make it the main focus of the Dec. 2011 issue. Because the launch date had to be postponed, Reis said he is still working on confirming a location for the party. 

“We think in the past people came in, grabbed an issue, mingle for a bit, and then head out,” said Reis. “We want them to come in, sit down, read the issue, broadcast their thoughts, you know, really get the discussion going about it. We want to hear feedback, we want to know how we can improve.”