In a tense meeting Wednesday, the ASUO Student Senate heard special requests from the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Educational and Support Services Program, the Chinese Student Association and GLOSS. The senate also approved appointments and filled committees.
The LGBT Educational and Support Services Program submitted a request for $5,000 to send University students to Portland to attend a conference sponsored by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. The group — along with the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer Alliance, the ASUO Women’s Center and the Outlaws — hoped to send 20 or more students to the conference to discuss various issues, such as working with university administrations to prevent hate crimes and raise safety awareness.
While many senators supported the idea of the event, there was concern over whether the students attending the event would be able to use the information to benefit other University students afterwards. Other senators worried that sending more than 20 students was “excessive.”
Members of the LGBTQA and LGBT Educational and Support Services Program, however, said the event would give students interested in getting involved the opportunity and skills to educate other students on campus. They also stressed that the conference rarely comes to the West Coast, and more money means more students from each group can go.
Shortly following a motion to cut the request down to $2,500 and another amendment to reduce it further to $1,500, tension broke out between LGBT Educational and Support Services Program Director Chicora Martin and senate ombudsman Andrew Elliott.
Martin told Elliott during his speech that he should personally notify the four people who wouldn’t be able to attend the conference because of the cut. Elliott then told Martin that according to senate rules, she could only speak when spoken to.
After a lengthy debate, the motion to give the group $1,500 failed 5 to 12, but the original motion for $2,500 passed 12 to 5. The money will pay for the registration of 20 students.
The Chinese Student Association requested that $240 be released from their food holding account to host an event to introduce new students to the group. The motion passed unanimously.
GLOSS also returned this week with an amended special request for $1,529 to help fund a series of speakers. The request was tabled last week because of discrepancies, but the senate passed the new request 14 to 3.
The senate also elected Alyce Chong to Seat 1 and Dominique Beaumonte to Seat 15. Chong was approved unanimously, and Beaumonte by a vote of 11 to 5.