The Student Senate allocated more than $16,000 from surplus funds at Wednesday’s marathon meeting. Before starting the meeting, the Senate observed a moment of silence for the victims at Virginia Tech.
Senators heard surplus requests from several student groups for various events and cultural nights and allocated $16,277.
The Native American Student Union requested $8,000 to fund it’s annual pow-wow, to be held May 12. Although Senators expressed concern there was not enough fundraising, the group explained they received donations of food and supplies that could not really be quantified.
Senators also approved a $2,000 request from the Survival Center to fund an upcoming event for the “Food Not Bombs” program.
The Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer Alliance requested $600 to help fund the transgender week of celebration, which starts Monday.
Other groups to receive surplus money included the Student Association for Women in Architecture, which received $177 for an upcoming “meet and greet,” the Hong Kong Student Association, which received $450 for its culture night to be held April 22, and the Student Bar Association, which was given $5,000 for an upcoming graduation barbecue.
In other Senate news, ASUO President Jared Axelrod said he is unsure if and when he will fill the vacancy left by Sara Hamilton’s removal from the Senate. Hamilton served in EMU Board Senate Seat 6, which is up for re-election this year. Her term would have ended May 24.
Although the ASUO Constitution says appointments must be made within 30 days of a vacancy (meaning the seat must be filled by May 18), the long process of appointing someone new means the person filling the vacancy would be a temporary hire, Axelrod said.
The winner of the election may be appointed temporarily, officially ending the term on May 24 and starting again in the same position on May 25, he said.
Axelrod said he has to talk to his staff before making any decisions.
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