The tables were crowded with senators and senators-elect at last night’s meeting as the Senate looks to the future.
Senators handled 12 special requests, many of which were transfers within groups or back to surplus. This is common as the school year winds down, when groups find money left over from requests earlier in the year that can be redistributed or even returned to surplus. Last week, more money was returned to surplus than was allocated, actually increasing the amount for the first time during a Senate meeting all year.
Some of the requests still caused extended debate among senators, like the $9,435 request from the Advertising Team, which is in the running for the finals of the National Student Advertising Competition, which will be held on June 10-13. The team wanted to send its team of 26 students to Las Vegas for the competition. A victory here would be the first since 1988.
Senate became focused on the fact that the Ad Team has not yet qualified for the finals. First, they need to move past the next round, which is a conference call that they’ll hear the results of on May 6. Although the team was fairly confident it will be moving onto the finals, several senators threw out the possibility of tabling the request until it was certain. However, it decided that postponing the purchase of airfare would only mean higher prices and it could be more prudent in paying for plane tickets now at the lower price. If the group does not make it to the Las Vegas finals, it will return the money to surplus. Senate passed the request, but not unanimously.
Senate also spent time deliberating over granting a $2,000 request from the new group Art Ducko, which is a cartoon and comic magazine that is heading into producing its second print issue. Senators including Robin Lilley and Kate Klosno expressed hesitation over granting what they said they believed was a large amount of money to such a new publication, in part because the magazine was gifted $1,000 recently that it wanted to save for other expenses.
Senator-elect Zach Lusby, who works for The Siren, another campus publication, suggested that the magazine look into cheaper printing options like reducing the size and quality of paper. Eventually, Lilley amended the motion to $1,000 and Senate passed that allocation.
Upcoming on the ASUO frontier is the signing of the newest version of the Clark Document, which is the document that describes the nature of the relationship between university administration and the ASUO. The signing will happen in Johnson Hall on May 8. Meanwhile, events surrounding Sexual Violence Prevention Week continue with Take Back the Night on April 30.
The ASUO Senate meets at 7 p.m. on Wednesday nights in the EMU Walnut Room. To learn more about the ASUO, visit its website.