Nadira Wicaksana
SGA addressed campus concerns regarding safety and equipment problems and reviewed multiple funding requests during its Nov. 27 meeting.
During Open Forum, Vice President Alex Backer gave an update about an issue he raised during SGA’s previous meeting – holes in the ceiling of the Horace Mann dorm.
“I have reports from several students that there is a second hole in Horace Mann’s ceiling, like in the shower area,” he said. “Several maintenance requests have been put in, but nothing has been happening.
“There are two giant, gaping holes, and eventually, it’s going to become one giant hole,” Backer said.
Parliamentarian Olivia Beverlie and senators Danielle Shaw and Olivia Rothwell said there are multiple broken or dysfunctional treadmills in the Athletic Center.
Rothwell said, “It’s a safety issue – I almost fell off because the belt keeps moving when you’re getting on it.”
Beverlie said, “I went on five different ones before I found one that worked. Some of them work, but then the screen is just not there, so you can’t find out how fast you’re trying to go. Some of them, the belt is just not working.
“If they don’t work, we need to get rid of them and create more space in the gym,” she added.
President Ben Carrington said he plans on meeting with Patricia Whitney, assistant vice president of Facilities and Capital Planning Operations, to “discuss the problems that were addressed during Open Forum.”
During his President’s Report, Carrington said SGA’s campus safety walk was “well-attended,” with 14 members and administrators such as FSU President F. Javier Cevallos and Whitney in attendance. The group walked around FSU grounds and discussed safety concerns.
Carrington added there are more talks to install a blue police box near the Alumni House on Adams Road.
Also during his report, Carrington encouraged SGA members to participate in the student search committees for the two new administrator positions that will be open after the 2018-19 academic year – provost and chief diversity and inclusion officer.
Later in the meeting, The Gatepost presented a funding request of $6,335.37 for its trip to the College Media Association Conference in New York City. The money will be used for transportation and to fund conference and lodging fees, as well as food for four students and one faculty advisor.
Editor-in-Chief Bailey Morrison said the trip is geared toward members of The Gatepost who have made significant contributions to the newspaper and hopes participants will bring back new ideas and improvements.
The Gatepost was allocated the full amount.
Ski and Snowboard Club came in with five different funding requests – one for promotional items, and four for trips that are scheduled for the spring 2019 semester.
Ski and Snowboard Club President Joseph Freitas said he and his club planned more trips – a total of eight. However, when Jill Hayward, SILD administrative assistant, advised them this might not be possible due to a lack of funding, they reduced it to four.
The first request – for 100 “trucker hats,” according to the club’s written funding request – amounted to $1,286.50 and was denied by both the Finance Committee and senate.
The club appealed, but SGA members were concerned about the production costs and suggested they look for cheaper alternatives. When asked which website he used, Freitas said he did not “remember off the top of his head.”
Three of the four funding requests for the club’s trips were unanimously approved – one ski session at Wachusett Mountain, another at Bretton Woods, and a tubing trip to Nashoba Valley.
The club requested $3,226.25 for Wachusett Mountain, $4,032.50 for Bretton Woods, and $1,692.50 for Nashoba Valley. These requests were approved pending the addition of one more chaperone, given the club is taking 30-40 people on each trip.
Freitas said Johnny Hurley, an area director, is willing to come as a trip chaperone, but the addition of ski packages for him on each trip would increase the total funding amounts.
SGA voted to increase the funding amounts by the price of one ticket package for each trip to
accommodate this addition – $54, $60, and $32, respectively.
The club also requested $4,852.50 for its Loon Mountain trip – “one [of] our most anticipated trips every year ... [that] always pretty much fills up,” according to the club’s written funding request.
Senator Matthew Bennet motioned to deny the request because the club had already been allocated money for a trip in February – the Nashoba Valley trip – and did not want to fund two trips in the same month.
“We have ... $86,732 left in the SATF account,” Bennet said.
However, SGA voted 10-5 in favor of allocating the funds, plus an additional package amounting to $72 for Hurley for the Loon Mountain trip.
Secretary Erin Johnson said SGA members should not be hesitant about allocating money on the basis of avoiding multiple trips in one month, and reminded them that the money from ticket sales is funneled back into the SATF account.
“I mean, it’s Ski and Snowboard Club,” she said. “They don’t do anything else – this is kind of all they do.”
In other news:
Stephen Lambert was sworn in as a senator of the Class of 2022.
Lexi Kays was named Senator of the Month.
Allie Flood, who was not present at the meeting, was named Officer of the Month.
Olivia Rothwell presented the U-Rock Award to Lambert.
[Editor’s Note: Bailey Morrison is Editor-in-Chief of The Gatepost.]