Senate allocated $11,670 for The Big Event

The Big Event offered a proposed budget of $13,170, but Senate only allocated $11,670. Senate suggested a few places in the budget that The Big Event could cut back. Senators suggested that the staff could just wear last year’s T-shirts in replace of the polos, and the staff could check around for cheaper prices on printing costs instead of only offering business to the print shop on campus. For full breakdown of The Big Event’s budget, see attached photo.
Senate also took the advice of a student at the open forum Thursday and allocated only $10,000 to the Aquatic Center. Senate will reevaluate its funds next semester and decide then if they would like to allocate the remaining $10,000.
Senate President Katrina Hurley said she miscalculated last week and offered the wrong number to be allocated for reimbursements for the Senate Peru trip. She asked for an allocation of $58.77 to make up the difference. Last week Senate allocated $1,848 in reimbursements for 10 members of student government for the Peru State College conference trip Oct. 26-29. The reimbursement was for three vehicles that received 42 cents per mile and for food. The reimbursements will come as separate checks for each individual and those checks are as follows: Student Trustee Coy Clark, $515.52, mileage and food; Sen. Ashley Goad, $490.42, mileage and food; Hurley, $508.96, mileage and food; Sen. Carly Slaght, $59.32, food; Sen. Denae Schilling, $49.82, food; Senate Vice President Karson Langley, $52.95, food; Sen. Michael Steube, $59.62, food; Justice of the Court Mikayla Gallagher, $37.46, food; Chief Justice Sam Merrill, $64.67, food; and Senate Secretary Oliva Vester, $68.03, food. Those totals add to $1,906.77 which resulted in Senate needed to allocated the extra $58.77 this week.
Senate has $80,885.10 remaining in projected funds at the beginning of the meeting Monday.
The trees for the Holiday Giving event should be picked up either Monday or Tuesday and they need to be decorated by 7 p.m. Dec. 2.
Major discussion about creating a new Residence Halls and Grounds Committee resulted in two failed motions. The first, to create the committee as a sub committee of the Campus Improvement Committee, and the second, to create a separate committee failed with the idea that senators would rather amend the Campus Improvement Committee’s bylaws rather than create a new committee.
Senate did vote to create a Health and Wellness Committee to look at different events to host rather than continuing to give money to “Student Health 101.”
Senate approved two new clubs through CAB—Chess Club and Psychology Club. CAB is also still looking for people to help with the casino night to deal in order to put on the event on Dec. 2.
Next week senators will vote on bylaw revisions.
Senators have only turned in two library petitions thus far, and Hurley stressed the importance of asking students and turning in what senators have.
There have been complaints about the structure of meal plans, specifically the 14-a-week meal plan not being a block meal plan. There have been issues with student’s not offering comments on comment cards to Dining Services because the student’s name is attached with the card. Students are concerned that the responses back to the student are unprofessional.
This stemmed from a comment written on a comment card by an athlete, Slaght said. The complaint was that they believe that the eggs served at breakfast are made from powder and it’s not “nutritious-ness enough,” for them when they are coming out of practice, Slaght said. The student wished that there were more real eggs and omelets.
Slaght said the staff responded back without addressing the concern of getting eggs more often. The staff felt attacked that they only use powdered eggs, Slaght said.
Slaght said the comment card was not placed on the board with the rest of the comment cards but instead it was displayed on a chalkboard separate from the rest. Slaght said it was inappropriate to display the card in that manner.
“Getting the names taken off (the cards) is important if the staff is going to continue to be aggressive like this,” Slaght said.
Senate was not able to act on this issue, only discuss it because Senate lost quorum before this issue was brought up.
There are also still spots available to ring bells at Wal-Mart and Safeway.
Senate Christmas Dinner will be at 6 p.m. Dec. 12; it will be a black tie event and a white elephant gift.