Thursday, March 28, 2013

Senate Update 3/27/13


At this week’s Student Senate meeting the senate underwent it’s first Student Fee Allocation Process review hearing, as well as heard updates from University Program Council, International Film Series, Leadership for Educational Action Fund and the Election Committee.
            UPC announced they are currently in the hiring process for the 2013-2014 academic year. UPC also announced they will be hosting a petting zoo event in April that will include various farm animals that students and the Greeley community are welcome to get close to.
            IFS announced their upcoming movie screenings, which include “Rocky Horror Picture Show” 7 p.m. Wednesday April 3 and 7 and 9:15 p.m. Thursday April 4.
            UNC election season is currently underway and the final presidential candidate debate is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday March 28 in the University Center room Columbine B. The last Open Forum is scheduled for 7 p.m. April 4 also located in Columbine B. Election dates are April 10 and 11.
            At the last Student Senate meeting senate heard presentations from various clubs and organizations asking for increases in their student fee allocation money. This week’s meeting was the first review hearing discussing which clubs and organizations deserve an increase in student fee allocations.
            “SFAP budgets are not easy to create and it is even harder to get senate to agree on who deserves what,” said director of finance Oliver Bourne.
            Bourne wasn’t kidding, Student Senate is allowed to allocate $57,000 to clubs and organizations but the total money asked for by the different clubs and organizations was over $70,000.
“It’s good to see groups are growing and wanting more money to do more things.” Bourne said.
Senate discussed which clubs and organizations deserve allocation money for over 2 hours, and will continue to discuss SFAP at next week’s meeting. None of the votes made in the review hearings are final until senate makes its final budget, which also has to be voted on. The final budget and voting will take place in late April.
The next Student Senate meeting is 5:30 p.m. April 10 in the University Center Council Room. For more information about Student Senate visit their website at www.unco.edu/studentsenate/

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Senate Update 3/13/13


At this week’s Student Senate meeting, the senate heard updates from University Program Council Leadership Education Action Fund and Organization Funding Board. The majority of the meeting was focused on hearing groups present for allocation increases through the Student Fee Allocation Process.
            The senate heard from three different organizations wanting to increase their allocation money from the previous year. The groups included Club Sports, Asian/Pacific American Student Services and Student Radio.
            Mallory Jordan, Coordinator of Club Sports, presented to the senate asking for $93,430, this is a $26,000 increase from the money they received last year during the allocation process.  Jordan explained how the 17 different clubs impacted student life at UNC, and clubs continue to reach out to the Greeley community. If Club Sports was to receive it’s requested amount, it would make UNC Ice Hockey games free for students to attend compared to $5 for students and $7 for non-students.
            “While being student lead and student funded, club sport teams represent UNC in competitions and in tournaments both regionally and nationally. It is the combination of both of these aspects that makes our clubs continue to be successful from year to year,” Jordan said.
Ice Hockey is one of Club Sports most popular sports on campus, but their hard-hitting action has not been able to fill the seats at the Greeley Ice Haus this past season and Jordan wants to bring more students to support the team night in and night out.
“From a broke college student perspective, and having attended a lot of hockey games, I think the $5 admission fee can be a deterrent from students attending games. I can understand why students are not coming,” Said director of legislative affairs Becca Hoy. 
The next presentation Student Senate heard was by Asian/Pacific American Student Services, represented by Director Alethea Stovall. Stovall requested an additional $3,000 from last year’s allocation in order to provide more help for UNC students that are coming from overseas.
The last group to present was UNC Student Radio. General Manager Sam Wood represented Student Radio and asked for an increase of $5,000 from last year’s allocated money. Wood emphasized that he would be graduating this spring and was worried that no one would be able to fill his volunteer position. Wood explained how the radio would be better off if his position was to become a paid position instead of volunteer.
“I have a hand in almost everything the radio does, and it is a serious time commitment to be a general manager,” Wood said.
The Student Senate will take all presentation into account, and they will hear from more organizations after spring break. The final decision on how much each organization is allocated does not take place until mid-April.
The next Student Senate meeting will be at 5:30 p.m. March 28 in the University Center Council Room. For more information about Student Senate visit their website at www.unco.edu/senate/.

Thursday, February 28, 2013

Student Senate Update: 2/28/13


          At this week’s short Student Senate meeting, the Senate heard updates from University Program Council, International Film Series, Leadership for Educational Action Fund and the Election Committee.
            The UPC’s sold out spring concert is set for Sunday night in the Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion featuring Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. This Friday will be the last chance for students to win a chance to meet the artists before the concert. All students have to do is like UPC’s Facebook page to be eligible to win. 
            IFS will be screening its first two movies of the spring semester starting with “The Impossible” Wednesday, Feb. 28 and Thursday, March 1. The second screening will be “Saving Face” Wednesday, March 6 and Thursday, March 7. All screenings start at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays and are shown twice at 7 and 9:15 p.m. on Thursdays in the Lindou Auditorium located in the lower level of Michener Library.
            At the last Student Senate meeting LEAF announced they would be putting recycling and animal waste stations throughout campus. This week LEAF has been busy putting the final touches on the project, and students should be seeing the stations throughout campus within the next week.
            “We are in the process of getting everything finalized and put together for the recycling and animal waste stations,” said director of student affairs Nick Loveridge.
            Election season is about to be in full swing on campus. At this week’s meeting, Senate made changes to the campaigning process allowing new candidates to campaign at anytime during the election process. Previously, candidates could not begin to campaign until after the marketing and campaigning meeting on March 6.
            There are nine elected offices that new candidates will be running for this election season. The offices include the seven directors, the student body president and the student trustee.
            “It takes some effort to be eligible to run for a senate position, and it’s not something candidates can do over night,” said election commissioner Lauren Zdanowitz.
            The 30-minute meeting was concluded with acknowledgments and an announcement that members of the senate will be going out on campus in the next few weeks talking to students about what the senate could be doing better.
The next Student Senate meeting is 5:30 p.m. March 6 in the University Center Council Room. For more information about Student Senate visit their website at www.unco.edu/studentsenate/

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Student Senate Update: Feb 13 Senate Meeting


            During this week's Student Senate meeting, the Senate heard committee reports from the University Program Council, International Film Series, Leadership for Educational Action Fund and the Organization Funding Board. The Senate also approved two proposals heard at the last Student Senate meeting.
            On Monday Feb. 11, the UPC released 900 additional tickets to the annual spring concert due to new renovations in Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion. Originally, the Macklemore and Ryan Lewis concert was going to be held at Nottingham Field, but because of seating and weather issues the UPC decided to move the concert indoors.
Tickets for the concert sold out within 72 hours of going on sale, and UPC realized new renovations to Butler-Hancock allowed for an additional 900 tickets to be sold. According to UPC representative Lauren Koppel there are about 400 tickets still for sale at the University Center Ticket Office.
            “After a little research it is safe to say that this concert will be the most UNC students in any one place ever,” Koppel said.
            International Film Series released their spring movie lineup this week, and presented their new event to Student Senate. In addition to the eight movie screenings every Wed. and Thurs IFS will be hosting family nights March 13 and 14 while screening Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were Rabbit. All IFS screenings start at 7 p.m. and are free for students but $3 for non-students.
            At the last Student Senate meeting LEAF proposed adding recycling and animal waste stations throughout campus. Senate approved the proposal for keeping UNC’s campus green and within the next few weeks students can find the recycling stations outside every major building and the animal waste stations in large grass areas like Turner Green, Cranford Park and Gunter Green.
            “Student proposals made this idea a reality,” said director of student affairs Nick Loveridge. “The next couple weeks students will be able to go green and clean up after their pets. We just need to finish some simple paperwork and the stations will start showing up.”
            After hearing from three different organizations at the last meeting, Student Senate heard from only one this week. The Mexican American Studies Club was approved $1,194.70 to put on their annual Celebration of the Arts event March 6. Senate was very happy to allocate the club money because it is one of the most attended events on campus.  
             Senate concluded the meeting with new business proposals for the next meeting 5:30 p.m. Feb. 27 in the University Center Council Room. For more information about Student Senate visit their website at www.unco.edu/studentsenate/.

Thursday, January 31, 2013

Getting Started

My name is Grant Evans, and I am a journalism student at the University of Northern Colorado. Last spring this blog was coving the UNC Baseball team during their 2012 season for an advanced news writing class. Now this blog has changed its course to cover the UNC Student Senate for an independent study course through the journalism department at UNC. This blog will be not only covering the Student Senate, but also covering controversial topics that arise within the senate.

I have been blogging for almost two years and I am confident in the skills I have learned over the years about blogging. This will be my first experience covering senate, and in the past I have only covered sports. I am a little nervous about the formality of government and the issues the senate will be addressing this spring.

This blog is very similar to my previous class blogs and I hope I can further my skills as a blogger. I am looking forward to the challenges that covering Student Senate and I think it will be something that I come to enjoy throughout the semester.