Gifts for students and questions of club funding have been dominating the meetings of the Associated Student Body Student Senate.
The senate recently passed two bills: one giving away $340 worth of gift cards to students for the spring 2014 elections, another, giving $410 worth of pencils, blue books, scantrons and campus folders as part of a finals giveaway for 200 students.
A bill to give funding to Phi Theta Kappa has been stymied because the Joint Budget Committee did not submit its final budget for the year before the Feb. 14 deadline.
“Is there any better way to notify clubs in advance, that if you want to request funds, it has got to be by such and such a date?” asked Vice President Tami Dunning.
Student Senate President Kenneth Hinton, said that in the future, clubs will be made more aware of the fact that Student Senate cannot make new monetary commitments at this point in the year.
“I am going to put it in the president’s report for next year that the last day to advertise, or request for funds, or to start that process is the last meeting in the fall,” said Hinton.
The ARC College Republicans requested $900 to attend the California Republican Convention this month. They too, have had trouble getting funds.
Director of Finance Jorge Riley, believes that this bill was excluded from the budget because of bias on the part of the board.
“They knew there were still people wanting money,” he said. “They threw that extra money to the banquet, to serve themselves at the banquet. That bill was already in their hands, it was already being discussed about. It was their way of making sure I didn’t get any money.”
College Republican President Alexander Wrinkle, agrees that there is a bias on the part of the board against his club.
“Considering other clubs have had their funding, which is reasonable, that’s what CAEB and others are supposed to do, I do feel like we were treated unfairly,” Wrinkle said. “We actually brought it up in January, and it never really was paid attention to. I am very sure there is some sort of bias against us.”
Luciana Curtis made clear that the amount spent on trophies last year for the End-of-the-Year banquet was not $400, as stated in the previous meeting, but actually $659.25. She reiterated that she wants the senators to come to her with ideas.
The March 6 Student Senate meeting was cancelled due to both advisers being busy during regular scheduled meeting time.