SGA allots money for projects

Up 'til Dawn, Women of Color receive money to help with events

Irene Wazgowski/ contributing photographer Senior Jennifer Gratino speaks during the Student Government Association meeting Tuesday night.

During a brief meeting this week, the Student Government Association passed two finance bills to give money to two campus groups — Up 'til Dawn and Women of Color.

Up 'til Dawn received $2,960.56 to purchase a new computer and supplies for their fund-raising events for St. Jude's Children's Hospital.

The amount of money they received was $500 less than what they asked for because they wanted money to help fund events that already have taken place.

The SGA does not give money for previous events, according to junior Matt Gray, Arts & Letters senator and the chair of the finance committee.

Senior Katherine Ferguson, College of Business senator, said Up 'til Dawn, "use[s] the bare minimum of things they need, and everything they are asking for they will be able to use for years to come."

Up 'til Dawn has 19 executives and 459 students in its organization.

The Women of Color group received $2,879.41 to be used for its Men's and Women's Conference. The group needed the money for a keynote speaker and supplies for publicity.

The finance committee did take out some money that would be used on honorariums, or small gifts, for those that attended the conference because, according to Gray, the SGA is not allowed to give money for those types of things. The committee also took out money that would be used for small office supplies because they said the supplies easily could be found all over campus.

Two group leaders of Women of Color told the SGA that their organization has been fund raising but they still need more money. They said they were involved in a Center for Multicultural International Student Services Unity Lock-in, and they will be hosting a Valentine's Day variety show.

The finance committee also tabled a bill submitted on behalf of the JMU crew club. The club asked for money to buy boats, and the committee wanted to look into this request because committee members had questions about liability.

Two new bills were presented to the Senate. One requested funds for the JMU Brass Band Club. The members asked for $3,958 to buy two of the three new instruments they need in order to perform in competitions. The third instrument they will buy through their own fund raising.

Sophomore Matt Taylor, COB senator and director of information technology, asked the Senate to use reserve money to buy the SGA new "graphic design, Web site design and publishing software" to be used on the new computers they purchased with reserve funds this year.

The SGA's software is out-of-date, and people that need the programs to create things for SGA are forced to use their own software, according to Taylor. The price for six copies of three different programs would come to $1,597.96.

A few senators will be taking a trip to Richmond to lobby on behalf of the university for funds from the Virginia General Assembly.

According to senior Adrianne Laputka, Arts & Letters senator, Charles King, JMU's University Financial director, asked the SGA to lobby for base accuracy funding. The money, which the university needs to run, to pay for building costs, and keep faculty salaries competitive, also helps support projected enrollment. Enrollment next year should increase to 120 students over the maximum because of higher retention rates. The legislative action committee also has asked students to join in a letter-writing campaign to tell the General Assembly what students want and need.