The Student Senate has just more than $3,000 left in its surplus account after allocating $19,995 to three student groups Wednesday. Senate has a $10,000 unallocated reserve it can also draw from.
Senate started the meeting with more than the $17,258 in surplus reported last week because of a discrepancy in paperwork, according to Senate Treasurer Billy Hatch.
The American Advertising Federation Ad Club will be going to a national competition next month with some funds from the ASUO Senate, though not as much as the club wanted.
After an hour-long debate, the Senate allocated $9,485 to send seven students to Atlanta. The club had asked for $11,985. The initial request included a daily allowance of $35 per student per day to purchase food.
Ad Club has a history of prolonged and contentious appearances before the current Senate. The club started the year without a budget from the ASUO because last year’s group leaders did not participate in the mandatory budget process.
On October 10, 2007, the group came to Senate asking for $10,000 from surplus funds to fill its annual budget. Senators delayed voting on the request and asked club representatives to come back with a smaller number, but no compromise was ever reached. The Senate allocated $3,000 from surplus to the club in February for members to attend a regional competition.
“Surprise, surprise. We won regionals,” Ad Club representative Sabrina DeMartini said. The team was one of 17 selected to go to the national competition, which DeMartini said was an impressive résumé builder and could help recruit advertising students to the University.
Sen. Sean Jin was first to say he would vote down the request, because he said he didn’t think all students should pay for seven students to go on a trip. The American Advertising Federation will pay for five students to attend, but DeMartini said the other seven team members “have been working equally hard” and should also attend.
Other senators objected to including money to pay for food, which is often a point of debate when sending students on trips. Sen. Diego Hernandez said he never received food allowances when going to conferences.
Senate Vice President Patrick Boye, who represents journalism students and has been a staunch supporter of Ad Club, pointed to funds the Senate gave the Native American Law Student Association in December which included a daily allowance for food of $45 per student.
Still other senators raised concerns about Ad Club’s lack of fundraising for the event. The group raised money to attend the regional competition, but has only scheduled a fundraiser at Max’s Tavern to go toward the national competition.
Seven senators voted for the initial request and seven senators voted against it, including Senate President Athan Papailiou, who usually abstains from voting. That left ASUO Vice President Chii-San SunOwen to break a tie vote.
“Oh, wow, so you’re forcing me to vote,” SunOwen said. “I vote nay.”
DeMartini said, “We have bent over backwards to fight this system. We have fought you since fall term and I think it’s time you give us money.”
A second vote excluding the food allowances passed nine votes to four with one abstention from Papailiou.
In other business, the Women’s Center received $7,285 for its Out/Loud Queer Women’s Music Festival. MEChA received $3,225 for Chicana Week.
Former ASUO President Jared Axelrod came to ask senators’ opinions on changes to the ASUO Constitution and the Green Tape Notebook. Axelrod has been hired by ASUO President Emily McLain to fix grammatical errors and clean up antiquated rules, he said. He will also try to create as its own entity in the Constitution the committee that recognizes new student groups.
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