The Multicultural Center’s request for $883.00 to cover their hotel expenses failed to be approved on Monday’s summer Senate meeting in a 3-2-0 vote.
The hotel expense is for a hotel that two members of the MCC would be staying at while attending the “Free Minds, Free People” conference — a conference that focuses on ways that help student leaders teach and learn both in and outside of a school setting.
The representatives for the MCC were enthusiastic about the conference, and they pointed out to Senate that they raised enough money for their plane tickets and the registration fees for the conference. But that wasn’t enough to validate the amount being requested.
The conference is happening in two days, and Summer Senate Vice President Taylor Allison thought that MCC was coming too late for a request.
“It kind of makes us feel like we’re put in a corner, and that we have no choice but to fund you because if we don’t then you’re more than likely not going to be able to attend the conference,” Allison said during the meeting. “I’m always hesitant to fund conferences, especially when it’s not for fees but instead for plane tickets or hotels.”
Sen. Parker Williams shared Allison’s thoughts, and voted against the request as well. Along with Williams and Allison, Sen. Josh Losner also voted against the request but for a completely different reason.
Losner says that he has a “distrust” with the organization that is running the conference, but the distrust isn’t towards the MCC or anyone involved.
“In the past, I’ve just found this organization to be untrustworthy, so that’s why I’m not showing my support for the request,” Losner said in the meeting to the MCC representatives. “This isn’t any bad will towards you guys though, and if you guys do attend the conference, I’m sure you’ll keep an open mind with what you hear.”
Summer Senate President Amy Jones decided to move to make the motion again, but this time at $633.00.
“I just feel like even though we can’t get you your full amount, I’m sure we can all agree on some amount of funding for you guys to go to the conference,” Jones said.
The new motion barely passed with a 2-3-0 vote, with the vote going down to the much hesitant Williams, who eventually decided to vote for the new amount.
With the motion, Allison suggested later in the meeting that perhaps there should be a different form for special requests that deal with conferences. According to Allison, conferences have become more prominent in special requests. Allison proposes that the ASUO Senate make a strong line as to what the ASUO will fund for conferences (such as registration fees) and what they will not fund for conferences.
The ASUO summer Senate will not be meeting next week, but will instead meet the week after at currently an undecided time.