Student senate members blamed the length of the full senate meeting last night on the contentious bills being heard.
Last night’s full senate meeting in the Kansas room of the Kansas Union lasted more than two hours. Senate members passed bills to fund future speakers and altered the language in the rules and regulations to provide senate with more leeway when it comes to indirect funding.
Much of the discussion for the night though, focused on the Center for Community Outreach’s request to fund their “Into the Streets Week” philanthropist speaker Greg Mortenson.
Mortenson’s price tag for the event is $34,000 of which $31,00 is honorarium and going directly to him.
Last night the Senate agreed to the bill requesting $9,000 for the event, which takes place at the end of March.
Student body president Michael Wade Smith said the issue should be about impact, not price, and that’s what this event provides.
“What are you saving the money for?” Smith said. “We have an obligation to create an impact.”
Senate member Bryce Meyers said the bill was unfair and CCO knew it. During his negative speech, Meyers said he knew it was going to pass.
“Bad ideas get through with good help,” Meyers said.
Another bill passed to provide funding for the Jewish student group the Chabad, but with less opposition.
The Chabad requested $1,500 to fund their “Jewish Culture Night” featuring internationally renowned mentalist Marc Salem. Salem highlights the power of the mind in his performances and will be on campus March 14.
Senate members asked a few questions about the event and its educational value, but ultimately granted the request.
In the spirit of giving, members also authorized an amendment of Student Senate Rules and Regulations to strike the previous rule that “no funds from student fees shall be allocated … to directly or indirectly raise funds for another corporation, organization, or group.”
The new amendment allows senate to contribute indirect funding to groups sponsoring events such as the Dance Marathon, Relay for Life and Up ‘til Dawn.
“We think it should be important to contribute to their success,” Smith said.
Student body vice president Megan Ritter agreed and said these events affect so many students.
“Think about how many people you know at KU that just went to Dance Marathon,” Ritter said.
The new amendment allows “no more than 10 percent of the previous three year average donations to be made to the third party group which the event is fundraising for.”
The original amount was 15 percent but got amended to 10.
By the end of the night, students appeared tired.
Senate members ultimately voted to postpone their debate regarding a newly adopted Senator Code of Ethics and because of the men’s basketball game next week, full senate won’t meet again to discuss them until March 16.
Student Senate’s “Pie in the Sky” ideas about how to make the University a dream campus
Student body president Michael Wade Smith opened up an informal dialogue about what student senate members would like to see at the University.
Smith is a part of a strategic planning committee that meets frequently to discuss the the future of the University throughout the next several decades.
Smith asked senate members at the full senate meeting last night in the Kansas room of the Student Union what would make our campus their “dream campus.”
Below are some of the responses:
-Community service option for paying for parking tickets
-Starbucks
-Shuttle to the airport
-Fully funded LGBT center
-GTAs need more funding
-On campus trolley
-24-hour library
-New Business School
-Dr. Pepper
Angelique McNaughton 