SGA SENATE MEETING
August 31, 2009
OFFICERS PRESENT: Glenn Gardner, Kimberly Proctor, Michael Baldwin, Gregory Bettis, Colin Al-Greene, Ashley Pittman
OFFICERS ABSENT: N/A
OFFICERS ON LEAVE: N/A
SENATORS PRESENT: Ashley Guy, Eric Beovich, Paige Perry, Daniel Reid, Jeremy Johnson, Sean Ramsey, Brandon Richardson, Will Thomas, Adam Langan, Greg Youngblood, John Miner, Hannah Sanders, Lauren Gessner, Cameron Macon, Basia Smith, Julie Tanner, Christopher Jones, Sidney King, Emily Carlson, Alan Sells, Blair Segers, Jacob Mahan, Todd Fowler
SENATORS ABSENT: Benjamin Kuyk, Brittany Sterling, Lauryn Davis, Nelson Argueta
SENATORS ON LEAVE: N/A
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: N/A
OFFICER’S REPORTS:
President: Gardner informed the senate that for the past few weeks, students have not been able to receive the Mobile Press-Register. He spoke with representatives from the Mobile Press-Register, and after negotiations, have decided to continue their partnership with USA. Gardner also mentioned that he attended a luncheon with President Moulton to discuss ways to improve parking at football games and make the gaming experience better overall. Also, there will be meetings with the Board of Trustees on Wednesday and Thursday of this week.
Vice President: Proctor thanked everyone who came out to the 9/11 memorial. She also encouraged senators to think of ideas of projects that the SGA could accomplish for this year.
Treasurer:
BALDWIN: Uh, just a few things. First of all, we need to move University of South Alabama Off-Road Team to the top. We discussed this last week, that we’d discuss them first. Um, I’m going to be attending a safety and environmental compliance meeting later on this month. If anyone has any suggestions or comments about the environment or safety around campus, if you wanna get- we’ll have these meeting every other month so if you want to contact me about that, that’d be good. I just want to say, uh, that when I ran for office, I- one of my main complaints was that there wasn’t a lot of debate and I think most of the things that we do that are lacking is there isn’t enough debate and there isn’t enough two-sided discussions, and uh, I think you shouldn’t be discouraged from debate if you feel like you don’t have all the information or you feel like what we are doing is not the best thing for us to do. Um, also, if you are interested in hearing the facts straight from the source, my office is always open and you’re free to ask me any question you’d like. Thank you.
Attorney General: Bettis is meeting with all the officers next week to discuss goals for Higher Education.
Chief Justice: Al-Greene explained that Homecoming Court Applications came out this week and are due the 21st of September. This year, there will be one Freshman, Sophomore, and Junior Maid, one Homecoming Queen, one Homecoming King, and the runner-up will be the Senior Maid. Also, Al-Greene would like to meet with the parking committee sometime next week.
Student-At-Large: Pittman has been asked to form a Student Advisory Board to help improve the Student Center. Also, tailgating passes will be available at 8 AM on Monday the 21st.
COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Ramsey thanked everyone on the Appropriations Committee for all their hard work and all the time they put into making the budget meetings possible.
SPECIAL ORDERS:
Al-Greene selected two Associate Justices and two defense Attorneys that will need to be confirmed next week so they can be sworn in. Copies of their applications will be available in the office.
OLD BUSINESS:
Motion: Open floor for discussion of USA Off-Road Team
Sponsor: Sells
Stating:
REP: I have been trying to contact off-road teams at other Universities. I have emails out to Perdue, Texas A&M, and University of Arkansas, but they have not responded. I did get in contact with Clemson, and asked how they did appropriations. Here it’s a flat rate of $2,000, but there they have a little more flexibility, but they have to prove that they are carrying 60% of the cost and that the university is only bearing 40% of the cost. So we’re just looking at what we need right now. The gears, I believe, are $168, and we have an EBay quote for some of the other parts and that’s $1300, and there is the propane system, which was $1,000, front axle shafts and wheel suspension, which was probably $1,500 and other various things we have paid for and when you add it up, we are actually carrying well over 60% of the cost, more like 90-95% of the cost. I did contact Clemson University about doing a joint competition and ride just about an hour east of Birmingham.
YOUNGBLOOD: I feel like, because you guys have put so much effort into doing research and taking time out to talk to us, that even if we can’t give the full amount they ask for, to at least give them some. They would represent South Alabama, and I just think we should help students out, since that’s what we’re for.
SELLS: My main problem is, these buggies, when you’re done, they are not coming back to South Alabama, am I correct?
REP: Let me explain, these parts that we’re asking money for, are not vehicle-specific. When we are done, these parts can be taken out and transferred to another vehicle, and after I graduate, these parts can be transferred to another student.
GESSNER: I was wondering, working on these vehicles helps you with your major? Like, these are the types of things you are going to be doing when you graduate, am I correct?
REP: Um, I’m a mechanical engineering major, and a lot of students in my field don’t get a lot of field experience and this would be a good way to get some hands-on experience.
AL-GREENE: The Senate would have to suspend the rules to require that the equipment b stored on campus. So this would take a 2/3 vote for rule 700.16.
SMITH: So if anyone wanted to ride your vehicle, would you be willing to let them?
REP: I would highly, highly supervise them, but yes, I would let them, maybe ride with them. But this is a very open sport and I would love for anyone to try it. It’s a very inviting environment. If you wanna ride in it, come on, I’ll put you in it.
SMITH: Also, would your organization be able to survive without this money?
REP: We would survive, as a small entity, but as for us to grow and get our name out and to prosper, it would extremely help the situation. And we’ve got a vehicle just sitting out there waiting to be fixed from the last competition, so right now, we can’t compete.
SMITH: But you don’t have any other vehicles you could use for competition? Not one?
REP: Not one.
SMITH: Not one?
REP: If we could even make it there, it wouldn’t be able to compete.
RAMSEY: I just want the senate to be aware, if we pass this, we will have to get the money from somewhere else. So if we give the money, be thinking of what’s going to be cut.
REID: In my opinion, I think that sets a bad precedence.
Motion: Vote to suspend rule 700.16
Sponsor: Guy
Stating: Roll call vote
Motion fails
Motion: Approve $235.38 to Chinese Student Scholars Association
Sponsor: Smith
PASSED BY ACCLAMATION
Motion: Appropriate $294.22 to Marine Sciences Graduate Student Organization
Sponsor: Gessner
PASSED BY ACCLAMATION
Motion: Suspend Rule 700.13
Sponsor: Youngblood
Motion: Roll call vote to suspend 700.13
Sponsor: Richardson
PASSED
Motion: Appropriate $932.35 to NSSLHA
Sponsor: Beovich
Stating: Abstention- Guy
PASSED BY ACCLAMATION
Motion: Appropriate $632.90 to Object Association for 3 Dimensional Artists
Sponsor: King
PASSED BYACCLAMATION
Motion: Appropriate $653.82 to Sigma Phi Omega National Honor Society
Sponsor: Jones
PASSED BY ACCLAMATION
Motion: Appropriate $653.82 to USA Gerontology Club
Sponsor: Miner
PASSED BY ACCLAMATION
Motion: Appropriate $1, 307. 65 to USA Prowlers Dance Team
Sponsor: Mahan
PASSED BY ACCLAMATION
Motion: Appropriate $1,104.96 to Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship
Sponsor: Ramsey
PASSED BYACCLAMATION
Motion: Appropriate $1,307.65 to National Society of Professional Engineering
Sponsor: Macon
PASSED BY ACCLAMATION
Motion: Appropriate $1,307.65 to USA Cheerleaders
Sponsor: Tanner
PASSED BY ACCLAMATION
Motion: Appropriate $274. 61 to Sierra Student Coalition
Sponsor: Fowler
PASSED BY ACCLAMATION
Motion: Open floor for discussion of Chosen Vessels
Sponsor: Segers
Stating:
YOUNGBLOOD: Um, I’ve heard them sing. They were fantastic. I think they were the old AASA choir, and they’re branching out on their own. So I feel like, they took their time out, and we should give them this money.
BALDWIN: The Chosen Vessels Gospel Choir is requesting uniforms and equipment. Um, if the representative would like to discuss that in more detail?
REP: What I’m asking for?
BALDWIN: Yeah.
REP: Ok, we’re asking for t-shirts for when we go to sing out of town or elsewhere and also some sound equipment so we don’t have to borrow other equipment and worry about damaging it or whatever.
SELLS: I want to point out that we gave money for appropriations to Jaguar Joggers, and they had just branched off from another organization.
SMITH: Point of inquiry for Treasurer Baldwin, since we approved the money for all these other groups, do we have any more in the account?
BALDWIN: Currently, the appropriations balance is zero.
GUY: Is there any other budget we could take money from?
BALDWIN: In order to do what you’re asking about, we could move $1,242.26 from the Inner Presidential Council Dinner Budget under operating into-from that operating into appropriations. The requisite rules suspension does apply.
SELLS: What would be the ramifications of moving that money?
PITTMAN: We would just have a breakfast instead of having a dinner served for us, to cut down on the cost. But we would have the Inner Presidential Council to meet.
PERRY: Um, I’m just wondering why you decided to break off from AASA.
REP: Well, we needed equipment.
PERRY: So you just did it to get more money, more funding from SGA?
REP: Yes.
REID: Since our budget’s so tight already, and this has been an organization for less than three semesters, I guess- if we had the money it would be different but we really don’t have the money.
SMITH: I have a question for the Student at Large. Is this dinner for us or for the SGA Or?
PITTMAN: It’s for all the presidents of all the organizations on campus.
SMITH: For the Representative, were there other reasons other than for just the money?
REP: No.
Motion: Suspend 3-semester Rule
Sponsor: Johnson
Stating: Roll call vote
FAILED
NEW BUSINESS: N/A
STUDENT FORUM:
REP: Over the summer, the Philosophy and Sciences club received money from the SGA. We are having a lot of big speakers coming in, and what we always do is, we give them honorarium, and it’s going to be a tight budget with $2,000. So the other option we have is to give them a nice dinner, which would cost much less but would obviously require a rule suspension. And rules suspensions, this is kind of circumstance where they apply. The no food rule, I feel, is to keep organizations from buying pizza and beer. But this is going to make better use of our funding if you would choose to suspend the food rule.
PROCTOR: So are you asking that we give you more money or that we allow you to spend that money in a different way?
REP: Just that we can spend it in a different way.
PROCTOR: In order to do that, we will have to move back into New Business. So I’m opening the floor for discussion.
GUY: Well I just want to say that we turned down a lot of groups this summer because they wanted money for food. So it’s not really fair to overturn this when they got money that could’ve gone to someone else who wasn’t going to spend it on food.
FOWLER: Am I correct, we already gave you a certain amount of money?
REP: Yeah, we’ve already been appropriated $2,000..
FOWLER: And that was this semester?
REP: It was appropriated in the summer.
FOWLER: Well, I don’t know how I feel about this, because you’re not asking for more money but you’re asking for us to let you spend it differently. So would we let you spend all of that on food or give you a limit?
REP: Well no cap would be nice, but if there has to be one, we will take that too. And we did it in the summer knowing appropriations would be tight but we would like to spend this money in the best way available.
PROCTOR: They did it early because at that point, we hadn’t set the date for the fall budget meetings and their event was so soon once school started back. So that’s why we allowed them to do that.
JONES: How many people are in your organization?
REP: We haven’t had a meeting yet, so I’m sort of de facto president, but I remember there being quite a substantial number of people there. Maybe 40 or 50 students?
PROCTOR: When is your event?
REP: I think it’s next weekend.
PROCTOR: So would it be possible to go and get more information and present it next week? Because I feel like the senate is a little confused. So maybe you could go and get some sort of itemized list of what you would need and then present it.
REP: Well, this is kind of last minute and kind of got thrown on me and if you guys don’t want to discuss it and want to wait, that’s totally cool. But by the time it got discussed next Monday, we wouldn’t have much time to let these speakers know if they’d be getting honorarium or a dinner or let them know what’s going on before they get down here.
JONES: Maybe you could get the students to help out and pay.
YOUNGBLOOD: I feel like that since you already knew this was coming up, you should have planned it in and thought about how you would spend your money instead of coming back and asking to change it.
REP: That’s a good point, and up until now we were planning on giving them honorarium but at the last meeting, we kind of came up with this idea because it would be much less expense to us to have a dinner than to have to pay them.
BALDWIN: A total of 4 organizations asked for food. Three of them got the full amount. The organizations who didn’t get the full amount refiled almost immediately. As for the itemized list of Organizations who got appropriations for food, um, Swing Dance Club asked for $450 for bottled water. That was the list. Council of International Student Organizations asked for a lump sum for food, and Outlaws asked for money for hot dogs and bottled water.
FOWLER: Could you charge the students money to get in?
REP: Well there are speaker fees and admittance fees that are charged a lot of times, but I don’t even know if we can legally charge some kind of fee at the door.
REID: Well, I say, go ahead and give it to them. We’ve already given some groups money for food and I don’t see why we don’t just give it to them.
Motion: Close floor for discussion
Sponsor: Reid
Motion: Suspend Rule 700.15 for the Philosophy and Sciences Club
Sponsor: Thomas
Motion: Roll call vote to suspend rules
Sponsor: Segers
PASSED BY ROLL CALL
VOTE
STUDENT FORUM:
USA OFF-ROAD TEAM REP: I just want to discuss a few things. I do not object to anything that happened tonight. But there were a total of four appropriation changes to suspend the rules for food. I feel like that was a needed thing, to suspend the rules. It was a unique situation. The Off-Road Team is the same thing. We’re unique and if you can show me a group that operates as we do I would gladly deal with that. I feel as if we got- I wouldn’t say cheated, but that we didn’t get acknowledged because we are a different sport. If there was an issue with that, I feel it should have been discussed more. I feel that the floor was closed too early, and the point of it is, if you have questions, don’t hold them back. Discussion is discussion.
SMITH: I agree with you, and I didn’t always agree with paying for food but I wanted to give you the money because I know how important it is for you in order to go to competition.
RAMSEY: How much money were you going to take from the Inner Presidential Council Budget?
GUY: $1,242. 26
BALDWIN: Correct.
RAMSEY: Just for clarification, I don’t think our decision was based on the fact that this is an alternate sport. I don’t think that factored into our decision at all.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Youngblood invited all Senators and Officers to dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings on Thursday at 5:00 PM.
Sanders needs to meet with the Rules Committee after the meeting.
Motion: Adjourn meeting
Sponsor: Smith
PASSED BY ACCLAMATION