Two new members have been appointed to ASASUD, while student organizations received limited funding amid discussions about fiscal concerns in a special ASASUD Senate session on Friday.
Jose Rios, a communications junior, was appointed as director of parliamentary procedures by the Senate, and President Christian Vasquez said he had selected tourism development and management sophomore Grace Guetter to serve as a judiciary board member.
“I consider myself to be a very evenly-keeled person … I think these are all the tools that any person part of a board would need in order to review a case and come to a logical conclusion in which all the parties are satisfied,” Guetter said.
In addition, the Downtown Programming and Activities Board and the Walter Cronkite School chapter of Radio Television and Digital News Association requested funding at the meeting that, though approved, was less than the original amount.
PAB requested a total of $20,860 to go toward Homecoming events at the Downtown campus in an effort to make the event “bigger and better” than years past, said Rebecca Herrera, the club’s executive director. PAB also requested financial backing for three executive board members to attend a National Association of Campus Activities conference in November.
RTDNA sought funds to cover 10 students attending a three-day broadcast journalism convention in Malibu, Calif., in December. Club members could apply for the event, an intensive training camp culminating in a DVD resume tape for students, according to the club’s president, Rudy Rivas.
However, the requests were met with concern from some Senate members about how much money they have been doling out to clubs this semester.
Sen. Michelle Lauer, of the Walter Cronkite School, said that a precedent had been set to not pay for food for student organizations’ conference trips.
PAB’s requests were approved with a modified amount for the conference. After removing $195 of food costs, ASASUD approved $2,105 for the trip.
RTDNA’s request was also modified. The requested amount of $6,563.75 was amended to $5,803.75, cutting funds for food and bedroom space from five rooms to three, which would require students to share beds.
“We have about $100 grand left this semester, and there’s about $30 grand being requested for this meeting alone,” said Sen. Dustin Volz, of Barrett, the Honors College.
“We really need to pay attention to the amount of money we’re giving away. No one likes turning down or cutting a student organization’s request for funding, especially when it’s a deserving one, but that’s what we were elected to do. That’s our job, and we haven’t been doing it,” Volz said.
Other senators, including Sen. Pedro Silva, also of Barrett, the Honors College, agreed.
“You have to use your money wisely,” Silva said.
ASASUD has $138,000 for the semester, President Christian Vasquez said.
Cassandra Aska, director of student engagement at ASU, said she would encourage ASASUD to not view the $138,000 as the only source of money they have for the semester since there are also funds allocated to the spring semester that are available for use in the fall semester.
“That mindset will catch you off guard and throw off your decision-making process,” Aska said.
Sen. Volz said more organizations tend to request money in the spring semester though.
Vice President Jessica Abercrombie said it was unfair to the organizations to have ‘food costs’ as something they could request funding for if they are going to deny all requests.
Rivas said ASASUD should consider the interests of students more, since students on his conference trip with meal plans would now have to spend money on airport food.
“I just think it’s ridiculous that all of a sudden you guys just go and do a tailspin,” Rivas said. “You guys just need to consider I’m asking for airport food. This isn’t a dinner at the Ritz-Carlton.”
Contact the reporter at vpelham@asu.edu
