ASUO senators approved eight special requests Wednesday night, totaling $74,553 in spending from the Surplus and Over-realized funds.
These special requests included two in-group transfer requests from the ASUO Executive branch, one unannounced special request from the Women’s Center and one surplus request from the ASUO Department Finance Committee.
The Senate approved taking $65,000 from over-realized funds, or money rolled over from programs at the end of the fiscal year, while taking $9,553 from the surplus fund, or unallocated reserves from the student incidental fee.
The $65,000 goes toward the “Spring Concert” within the Jewish Student Union in order to fund a big headliner for an event to take place in May 2011.
ASUO Sen. Janet Brooks had problems with the large sum of money and with non-students attending such an event.
“We can not make this free for the community; that is student fee and I don’t feel comfortable with that,” Brooks said.
Several senators were excited about the community-building atmosphere the event would create.
“The pride and prestige of something everyone goes to, it has so many effects. Student groups are all doing something part of the week,” Sen. Chris Bocchicchio said. “If this does get approved tonight, I’d love to get involved with this.”
The presenters for JSU said they sought the over-realized fund after meeting with Robin Holmes, University vice president of student affairs, and learning about the different pools of money available to them. Additionally, they were bolstered by $6,000 they received from the Residence Hall Association Monday night.
The original request JSU brought before Senate was $70,000, but they accepted an amendment by Sen. Ian Fielding to $65,000.
“We don’t want that number to be the end-all; we want you to have influence on decision-making,” JSU Director Noah Wolf-Prusan said at the start of their presentation to the senators about being open to Senate input.
The possibility of charging concert-goers a ticket price of less than $10 was also bounced around. This was intended to suffice Brooks and other senators who had problems with non-students accessing the concert for free, and also to go toward funding the concert and other concerts in the future.
Meanwhile, a working group was created to work on a resolution about University President Richard Lariviere’s New Partnership proposal, which would alter the way the University receives funding and is overseen by a governing board. That group will include Sens. Brian Powell, Erin Altman, Brianna Woodside-Gomez and others.
Following the money
Athletic Band – $2,517 – Two new iMacs and software  – Approved 15-1-1
Native American Law Student Association – $500 – Moot Court competition – Approved unanimously
Women’s Center – $4,000 – Women of Color Conference  – Approved 17-0-0
Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transexual Education Support Services Program  – $2,140 – Creating Change Conference  – Approved 17-0-0
Department Finance Committee – $396 – Miscellaneous Admin Expenses (Accounting for a stipend issue last year) – Approved 11-5-1
Jewish Student Union – $65,000 – Spring Concert – Approved 11-2-2
In-group transfers
NALSA – $500 from a conference to Moot Court Competition – Approved unanimously
Executive – $337 from “Voter Reg.” to “Oregon Students of Color Coalition” – Approved unanimously
Executive – $587 from “Voter Reg.” to “Oregon Student Equal Rights Association” – Approved unanimously
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