The Undergraduate Student Government senate approved Special Services Council budgets for eight on-campus organizations and budget revisions for two other organizations at its meeting Thursday evening.
Vice President Of Clubs and Organizations Kimberly Pacia said that the bylaws of the SSC, which provides funding for new clubs, require that clubs must apply for funding before the seventh week of the semester.
The Stony Brook Solar Racing Team’s budget of $797.83 was approved by a vote of 18-0-2. The team’s president, Han Tse, said the team plans on using the money to build a solar-powered race boat for the annual Solar Splash Competition in Dayton, Ohio. Last year, the Stony Brook team won first place overall.
“We’re looking forward to continuing to add on to our successes,” Tse told the senate before the vote. “Hopefully through the help of you guys, we’ll be able to buy some of the necessary equipment that we need to make it happen.”
The Veteran Students Organization’s budget of $512.00 was approved by a vote of 20-0-0. The organization’s president, Sherry Shi, said the money would be used to buy food for a veterans’ social and yellow ribbons to be hung in the Student Activities Center courtyard on the week of Veteran’s Day.
“We work to ease their transition from military life to civilian life because it’s hard for a lot of veterans to jump back into school after serving overseas,” Shi said.
A budget of $545 was approved for Nontraditional Student/Adult Learner Association, an organization for older students returning to college, by a vote of 19-0-1.
Taiko Tides, a traditional Japanese drumming club, was approved for a budget of $742 by a vote of 20-0-0. Stony Brook Bhangra, an Indian dance group, was approved for a budget of $683 by a vote of 16-0-3.
The Pre-Physical Therapy Club’s budget of $785.45 was approved by a vote of 20-0-0. The club’s budget was tabled from last week’s senate meeting because the original budget application was incorrectly formatted.
The Volleyball Club’s budget of $800 was approved by a vote of 18-0-2. The Table Tennis Club’s budget of $629.90 was approved by a vote of 20-0-0.
One budget application that the senate did not approve was that of the Martial Arts Association. The decision on the association’s budget was tabled from the previous week’s senate meeting, and an association representative was not present at either senate meeting.
Pacia said that the Martial Arts Association did not respond to emails requesting a representative to attend the senate meeting. The final vote on approving the association’s budget was 0-16-3.
“I don’t think its fair for us to even consider their budget just because a lot of other clubs took the time to come out here to answer questions, and this is the second week we have been dealing with this,” Vice President of Academic Affairs Steven Adelson said.
The senate then approved revised budgets for the Math and Investment Clubs for the 2014-2015 year by a vote of 19-0-0. The Math Club’s budget was brought from $479.50 to $875.00. The Investment Club, which did not submit its budget application before deadline last semester, now has a budget of $1,278.
The senate confirmed Asher Marks as associate justice of the USG Judiciary by a vote of 13-1-5. Senior Class senator Tyesha Jordan-Arnette, who voted against the confirmation, and Health Sciences senator Isabella Skomial, who abstained from voting, both said that Marks did not seem “relatable.”
“I saw great qualifications, but just in terms of presentation and being able to relate to the students, I just felt…no, not something I was looking for,” Skomial said.
Marks defended himself by saying that he can relate to the student body because he has been an active member of several clubs and organizations, including Engineers Without Borders, the Solar Racing Team and Students Helping Honduras.
The senate voted, 18-0-1, to amend its bylaws. One amendment will allow senators to opt out of receiving physical copies of committee minutes and legislation in favor of electronic copies. Another amendment states that the section of the senate bylaws outlining budgetary matters does not supercede USG’s financial bylaws.
Justice Vincent Justiniano, College of Arts and Sciences senator Taylor Bouraad and Adelson were confirmed by the senate to join President Garry Lachhar as SUNY Student Assembly delegates. The assembly’s conference will be held in Rochester from Oct. 17 to Oct. 19.
