AAS hears fall budget complaints

There was considerable debate regarding the College Republicans’ and College Democrats’ fall budget allocations. Both political organizations submitted similar budgets but received recommendations for different allocations from the BC. The Democrats were allocated $434, 43 percent of the amount that they requested, whereas the Republicans received $297.50, 46 percent of the amount they requested

A motion to give the Republicans half of the money already allotted to the Democrats for a voter registration drive for which the Republicans also requested funding was proposed and debated.

Senator Matt Vanneman ’06 argued that the Republicans had not been active in planning last semester’s drive, and therefore should not be given any of the money recommended for the Democrats.

The motion to amend the budget and to transfer money from the Democrats’ budget to the Republicans’ budget failed.

The senate also discussed transferring money that was recommended for the riding club to the anime club.

The anime club had requested the funds in order to purchase DVDs to add to the collection at the library. Garrett Jablin ’06, treasurer of the anime club, addressed some of the appeals committee’s initial concerns. “After having talked to the library we found out that there is not a purchasing, shelving or processing fee,” he said.

The motion to shift $150 from the riding club to the anime club failed. The senate ultimately allocated $18.04 to the anime club.

Most clubs received only a portion of the funding they requested. The Black Students Union (BSU) was given $4,575 for events including Harlem Renaissance and the DeBerry School field trip. The BSU received only 19 percent of the $23,800.57 it requested. The Asian Students Association (ASA) was allotted $5,400 for events like Parry Shen, a speaker, and Yellow Rage coffeehouse.

However, a few clubs were allotted the full amount they had requested. The water polo team was recommended its full $1,310. The vegetarian interest group also received the full amount it requested, $410. The printing costs and advertising costs of The Indicator were entirely funded. Another publication, Prism, received the total amount it had asked for, $3,030.00.

However, four clubs received no funding at all. The ski team was not allotted any of the $19,300.00 that it had requested and The Hamster received none of its requested $2,425.

President Ryan Park ’05 proposed an amendment to alter the composition of the Judiciary Council (JC), but it did not pass. The amendment would have removed the two senators who currently serve on the JC from those positions. Instead, the JC would have been composed of five members of the student body not holding any other AAS position. Currently, three elected non-senator students serve on the JC with the senators.

Park explained that it is preferable to have members of the student body on the JC rather than AAS members because there are often complaints against the AAS, allowing for the potential of biased judgements.

“The practical claim is that so many of the claims [that come before the JC] are against the AAS senate,” he said. “We need to create an independent judiciary.”

Paris Wallace ’04, chair of the budgetary committee (BC), was in favor of the amendment. He asked the senate to propose an alternative to the proposition citing the problem of encountering a “voting block” because of the number of senators on the BC. As things stand, it is very difficult to overturn the recommendations of the budgetary committee.

Wallace argued that senators who are also members of the BC can influence the entire voting of the senate. “If you don’t like this change, but acknowledge that there are problems, please come up with other solutions,” said Wallace.

The amendment to place members of the student body on the JC failed.

Park also discussed problems that occurred with the online honor code voting last Thursday (see Students re-vote on Honor Code; first vote voided, page 1).

“The link to the text of the honor code was broken, so we have to hold another vote,” said Park.

The senate closed the end of the meeting to the public. The senate then discussed the Distinguished Teacher Award, which is presented at the Senior Honors Dinner.