This week Student Government lamented over multiple budget allocations to both clubs and conferences, much of which had mixed opinions.
The main concern was over consistency in allocating to various clubs and conferences along with whether or not the consistency should be practiced or revised in the future.
Senior Caitlyn Sofio made mention of the issue.
“SG members should go to our conference meetings to know how to voice their opinions instead of stretching them in the informal discussions,” said Sofio.
This began during the second week of the PBL fund request. It requested $1,500 for their upcoming FBLA conference in April which eleven students are projected to attend.
A tense debate ensued over whether the money should be allocated when others made the point that SG has given more money to other conferences even with less in attendance of the conferences. The debate was an issue over the cost for the accommodations and whether SG should allocate the funds towards them.
The first vote over the issue was to motion $935 for registration fees, excluding the lodging costs.
The motion failed to pass at: 9-26-1.
After more debating, a second motion was to allocate the full $1,500. This motion passed with: 32-3-1.
In its second week, WCLH continued its fund request of $500.
The motion passed with: 35-0-1.
Also up for voting was for the Off Campus Council’s revisions to its constitution.
The revisions were rolling membership for CC and IRHC being able to run for executive offices for OCC. Also, the president must live off campus to get the full effect of the position.
The motion passed with: 34-0-2.
More on the tense debates, Spring Fling’s budget went to voting. Debate was over subtracting frivolous items from the budget in order to save money as the event for the single evening was more than usual.
Recording Secretary Kassi Bugg noted that “something else needing funds, say another conference, could come up in the near future.”
The proposed budget was for $16,000; with the proposed ticket revenue would subtract the amount to $13,500.
Regardless, the budget passed with: 24-8-4.
The Institution of Electrical and Electronics Engineers is hosting the annual engineering Olympics and is requesting funds from Student Government.
The Engineering Olympics takes local high school juniors to Wilkes and each school competes in different events run by the Wilkes engineering majors, the winning school receives a $40,000 scholarship to attend at Wilkes University.
Multiple holes were in the proposed budget, especially in t-shirt costs, and the requester was asked to revise the budget for the following week.
More information in the first week was Relay for life with a proposed budget of: $1,378.80 and Relay for Heat requesting $5 per student per mile for up to fifty students.
Casino Night had a first week proposed budget of $12,024. New prize ideas were explored and less popular prizes were deleted.
Last week Student Government fielded multiple club fund requests after their week long hiatus thanks to a snow storm which caused a meeting cancellation.
The Beacon had requested $1,600 for ad space to help with cost of manufacturing the papers.
Senior communications major and Beacon Editor-in-chief Jake Cochran was the requester of the funds as well as Beacon advisor and SLAM representative Dr. Loran Lewis.
“The idea is spending money to help the student body be more aware of what is going on around campus,” said Cochran.
Student Government was not enthusiastic about the idea stating the money could be more cost effective in other ways. They were also skeptical if the Beacon was in dire need of the funds to keep the paper going.
Discussion was met with a consensus of scrutiny of the funds as well as where the Beacon stood financially.
The motion was to deny the fund request which was met favorably with a vote of: 35-1-0.
Also in their second week of fund requesting was Adventures in Science.
They had suggested $2,000 to fund for t-shirts, drawstring bags, and prizes for their event this April. The projected cost may be decreased as Adventures in Science has found a new T-shirt manufacturer.
The voting was also met favorably after a brief discussion with a vote of: 31-3-2.
This Saturday Wilkes University plans to hold a community health fair to all those in the Wilkes-Barre community as well as Wilkes students.
It too has requested for funds, this time for $1,000 for Sodexo Foods to cater the event with healthy lunch options.
Student Government had a mixed opinion of the fund allocations with a consensus of too many non-students being at the event where the food would not enhance it at all.
An informal vote leaned to denying the request.
The budget report for Student Government this week is as follows: all college: $20,244.11, Spirit: $3,410, Conference: $6,141.64, General: $20,104.32, giving SG a total of: $49,900.07.
Student Government meets at 6 p.m. every Wednesday in the Miller Room.