By Kassondra Granata
After back and forth bickering, the Student Government Association managed to pass all eight of its Finance Committee Recommendations at its March 20 meeting.
During committee reports, the senate passed six recommendations unanimously. The ASO’s (Africana Student Organization) line item change request and the Italian Club’s line item change were both approved. The senate approved the Athletic Club’s line item change with $275 going from refreshments to other and $200 moving from refreshments to other with the cross-over symmetry program maintained and kept by the Athletic Trainers Club. The United Caribbean Club’s line item change passed with $3,000 going from the Bob Marley tribute to the ball. The South Asian Student Association’s line item change also passed along with the DanCentral line item change.
A motion was seconded to approve the History Club’s line item change. According to Sen. Chris Marcelli, the club, which originally wanted to travel to Washington, D.C., decided that it was too expensive and to take a one-day historical tour of Boston, MA.
Marcelli made an amendment to the motion to approve one part of the line item change and to deny the second part. The first part of the motion is to allocate $2,073.50 for the line item change to travel to D.C. to tickets for Boston. The second part was for $623.50 from travel to D.C. to Boston and to charge $30 for tickets to make a profit on the cost of the bus.
Many senators had an issue with approving the second part of the motion.
“It seems like a lot of people in the room have an issue with approving the second part and we should cut it out,” Marcelli said.
Sen. Kory Mills said he was against Marcelli’s amendment because according to the club’s advisor, Jim Greene, the club cannot make a profit.
“This amendment won’t do anything,” said Mills. Marcelli’s amendment failed with two yes-votes, 21 no-votes and six abstentions. Sen. Bobby Berriault moved to add the words, “under the condition that the tickets would be available to the student body free of charge,” to the motion, but the amendment failed.
Sen. Ryan Baldassario moved to add, “to have a stipulation that the ticket price can not allow the club to make a profit,” to the motion. Baldassario’s amendment passed with 13 yes-votes, two no-votes and four abstentions. With that new amendment, the motion passed with 16 yes-votes, two no-votes and one abstention.
Before open floor, Sen. Mills moved to approve the ATME (Association of Technology, Management, and Applied Engineering) club’s new base budget with $300 going to membership and $200 going to speakers. His motion passed.
During open floor, Sen. Berriault moved that the senate could not make motions during committee reports.
“By the time the Finance Committee report is over a lot of the senate is gone,” said Berriault. “I don’t think that it is a good idea that we keep doing this. The items in New Business should be held under New Business. Senators are missing important things.” Berriault’s motion failed.