The Student Government Association held its weekly meeting on Feb. 21 in University Center South.
The majority of the 19 minutes of the meeting consisted of a follow-up from Josh Kornberg, communications senior and SGA president, on the working projects of the SGA.
The main topic of conversation was adding additional microwaves to The Commons. Currently, The Commons have two microwaves, one of which is frequently out of service. The SGA has been working with Physical Plant to add three additional microwaves.
“Physical Plant is putting in additional outlets by where the microwaves currently are,” Kornberg said. “They are also going to take that white particular board out, and they are going to put in shelving and a new countertop. They are also going to take out the non-functioning microwave and replace those with three new functional microwaves.”
Physical Plant will be picking up the bill for electrical costs and renovation of the countertop, but it plans on being reimbursed for the cost of purchasing the microwaves. The cost of the microwaves totaled $139 per unit.
“These [microwaves] are the stainless steel industrial restaurant microwaves,” Kornberg said. “They are more heavy duty, and [people] buy them to last longer.”
The SGA is considering multiple ways to cover the cost of the new microwaves. There has been a loss in funds in the Student Life budget this semester because of decreased enrollment, so the SGA would like to try and reallocate funds to cover the expenses of the microwaves.
“We had allocated $250 for homecoming expenses, which we didn’t end up using because of weather that was unforeseen,” Kornberg said. “We had to cancel the bonfire, which is where our funds were being used at.”
Matt Owen, political science junior and SGA senate chair, said he would like to add the SGA logo to the microwaves since they were purchased by SGA funds.
“They have already ordered the microwaves, so I would say that within the next two weeks we will see something happen down there,” Kornberg said.
Kornberg has also been working with other organizations on campus to find ways of advancing student involvement. He is currently working with Hunter Luthi, informatics senior and Gay Straight Alliance president, about a program called “OMS” that would send out e-mail and text alerts about events on campus.
“The whole point of this is really stepping up to a 21st century approach and really technologically driven approach rather than strictly fliers, banners, and poster approach,” Kornberg said. “We are really trying to step it up and be innovative about it. It’s a really great program.”
Luthi will be presenting the program to the SGA within the following weeks.
“It’s a really cool thing that the SGA can put our stamp on it,” Kornberg said. “Although it’s not something that we did ourselves, but it’s something we are a part of, and it’s something we continue to build in to.”
Following up from last week’s meeting, the SGA moved forward with their plan to transfer funds that were originally set aside for uniforms and add them to the budget for conferences and workshops. The SGA set aside a budget of $250 for clothing, with logos that would identify members of the SGA, which they did not use.
The SGA passed the resolution, “Reallocation of Funds: Within the Same Budget,” for the transfer of funds from uniforms to the budget for conferences and workshops account, which now totals nearly $1,022.
Closing out the brief meeting, Stephen Prather, radiography junior and SGA senate pro-tempore, introduced the session binder he had been developing to the Senate. The binder consists of the previous resolutions, bills and session minutes from previous SGA meetings.
Students can attend SGA meetings and voice their concerns for the student body at its weekly meetings on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. in University Center South, room 122.
By HANNA WOODS
Staff
hrwoods@umail.iu.edu
