Students attending Powershift 2011 returned to the Senate Monday to ask for more funds for Johnnies attending the event in Washington, D.C. later in April. Members attending stressed that they were just individual students that organized and not part of the Sustainability Alliance.
However, the senate was hesitant to approve the funding request due to the members of Powershift non-affiliation with any officially recognized club.
“It looks like a club, quacks like a club, so it’s probably a club,” Vice President Cleary said during the debate over funding Powershift 2011.
After debate, the senate decided to allocate more funds in a 10-6 motion.
“We don’t want to be setting precedent when people keep coming in and asking for money when they’re not a club,” Chairmen Tom Loonan said on the issue of allocating the funds.
$1,140 was allocated to Powershift 2011 to help with the costs of 19 Johnnies attendance.
Members of the Outdoor Leadership Center came to the senate to ask for $1,000 at the upcoming Fruit at the Finish Triathlon event taking place on April 30. The OLC is charging participants $15 to register and asked for the senate to fund the fruit for triathlon finishers along with other prizes.
“I encourage that we support this,” Senator Zinns said. Since the OLC did not have an exact plan for what the money was going to be used for the senate tabled the motion to allocate the funds.
Collegiate Readership Program
Senator Gruber informed the Senate that the funds for the Collegiate Readership Program were running a little tight. He mentioned that there was enough allocated funds to fund the program to the end of the academic year but newspapers would probably run out earlier in the day if no action was taken.
“This year our readership is up about two percent from last year and also with the Star Tribune the cost per a paper has gone up,” Senator Gruber said.
Ethics Violation in SJS
President Silbernagel informed everyone at the meeting that Senator Griffin had incurred an ethics violation. The exact details of the incident were discussed in executive session but Senator Griffin was required to write a letter of apology to Trustee Hauff of the St. Ben’s Senate.
“I would like to apologize for my actions” Senator Griffin said.
The Senate was briefed on some constitution updates being considered for the SJS in following years. One major change being considered that Loonan pointed out was amending the constitution to prohibit split-ticket elections making it unable to be a senator and study abroad in the same academic year.
The SJS next meeting will be at 9:20 p.m. on Monday April 11 in Sexton 200.
Tags: SJU Senate