USG financially stable, looks to FY 2015

By Luke Nozicka

The Undergraduate Student Government allocated $6,855 to Registered Student Organizations Tuesday and has nearly $21,000 left to allocate this semester.

USG treasurer Cameron Shulak said USG would still have an additional $14,000 in its account if needed.

“I think this time last year we had like $1,000 left,” he said. “We’re sitting pretty so to speak.

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Over the last several weeks USG has received a large number of allocation requests, with 10 expected at the next meeting, Shulak said.

“We’re starting to deal with the next fiscal year and the operational allocations,” he said. “That’s going to be a large sum of money we are talking about.”

Vice President Oliver Keys said he and Sen. Shulak are working on a USG spending report, which will be released publically in the coming weeks.

“We are wanting to publicize finances for USG and the whole account,” Keys said. “I believe it is student’s money so they should know where it is being spent.”

Shulak said Registered Student Organizations must apply for the first period of fiscal year 2015 funding by March 31.

“It’s just super important for these RSOs to know that if they want money for Aug. 1 to Oct. 15 next year, they absolutely have to have their application in,” he said. “There’s not going to be any applications accepted in the next academic year in August for an event Aug. 14.”

USG also discussed potential changes to its constitution.

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Sen. Christopher Wheetley said he and the Internal Affairs Committee are at work to make changes in its constitution.

“The system we came up with would be a simple system and would just be through academic colleges,” Wheetley said.

“So that would get rid of any area district and Greek life and undeclared majors.”

He said off campus students still do not have extra representation, while all the areas on campus have a USG representative in addition to their major’s representative.

The Senate approved the Latino Cultural Association request for $295.54 for travel expenses. The allocations are for a 14-passenger bus to see a documentary on Cesar Chavez screening next weekend.

The Latino Cultural Association representative said this is important because Chavez was an icon to Mexican Americans in the United States and there soon may be a holiday in his honor.

USG approved the Student Nutrition Association request of $1,590, which is divided into $1,440 for personal trainers and $150 for a Recreational Sports and Services Overseer.

The bill was postponed indefinitely at the last USG meeting, but the association has opened the events to the public and came back more organized, Shulak said.

The association will host physical exercises and nutritional workshops, which will be held in the Recreational Center. The events are every week for five weeks.

The Senate also approved the Indian Student Association’s requested of $2,000, which is divided into $1,450 for a venue rental, $250 for advertising and $300 for honorariums.

The group said it has grown in the past 20 years and expects 400 people at this event.

USG approved the Black Male Round Table request for $1,960 for travel expenses to an event in Ohio.

The American Institute of Graphic Artists requested $1,446, divided into $367 for venue rental, $35 for advertising, $44 for parking and $1,000 for speaker honorariums, which was passed by USG.

USG also approved the United Asian American Council’s $1,525 request, divided into $1,350 for food related expenses and $175 for sound equipment rental.

President of UAAC Alexander Soriano said the allocations will fund events planned for Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month in April. While USG does not usually allocate food for eating, one of the main events this organization will hold is an iron chef competition.

USG has three meetings left this semester.

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