PSGA Blog Number 13: New Bylaws, Secured Bands for Culture Shock, and The Stood

The PSGA met on Wednesday, Feb. 25 and approved two new Steering Committee bylaws surrounding the Major Events Coordinator and General Programming Coordinator positions. Two days after impeaching MEC Jeff Levin on grounds related to inconsistent and unpublicized committee meetings, the senate concluded that the MEC was mandated to hold at least one meeting a month and the GPC must hold at least one meeting every two weeks.

According to Levin, The Dear Hunter, Margot and the Nuclear So-so’s, and Paper Route were secured to perform at Culture Shock in April and The Cool Kids would be finalized by the end of the week. He said he was working to secure as many acts as possible, including a final headliner for $5,000, so that a new MEC could effectively run Culture Shock if he were to be removed from office.

“We’ll take what we can get,” said Levin when he told the senate about his search for a final headliner. The date of his first hearing with the Judicial Board has not yet been confirmed.

Levin also said that hardcore band Every Time I Die cost him $4,000 in cancellation fees after they were removed from the lineup at his last committee meeting earlier this month.

Former Chair of the Senate, Caitlin Christian-Lamb was approved by the senate to sit as proxy Parliamentarian for Levin’s Judicial Board hearings, and Senator Dana Caputo of theatre, arts, and film would also be present.

GPC Becky Sellinger announced that the probation of the Stood was soon over. “Everything’s been super under control. Nobody has been drinking, I haven’t seen any beer cans or cops around for awhile,” she said. According to Senator James Blinstrub of commuters, the recent probation of the Stood helped many students better respect the building.

Blinstrub also said that he finalized his efforts to place bike racks on the back of Purchase buses and that they would be installed as the weather gets warmer.

PSGA President Joe Matoske said he went to Albany with Purchase professors and deans to meet with members of Congress to talk about inaccuracies with recent tuition increases. He said that only 10 per cent of the tuition hike goes back to the College and the rest pays off state expenses, and that 20 per cent would be given back the following year.

Governor David A. Paterson attended the meeting and Matoske said he offered little hope to the SUNY system and suggested that schools donated land to help raise funds. Matoske also discussed President Barack Obama’s recently passed stimulus package and how funding for all education is shared between kindergarten levels through higher education and fought for better funding towards higher education.

Senator Scott Torrellas of commuters confirmed that Purchase College would have an official lacrosse team next semester, and that an intramural league became active earlier this semester. He also mentioned that he was working on securing defensive, and five hour driving courses sponsored by the College.

Coordinator of Clubs, Organizations, and Services Kevin Collymore said that though he was against PSGA regulation of budgets, he put budget watches on some clubs’ accounts in order to prevent excessive spending.

Head of Tech Services, Ed Willock attended the meeting to address the senate with a report on the status of his job. Willock said that he was working to install new sound systems to the venues on campus, especially Southside, so that students would better appreciate them.

Chair of the Senate Russ Zambito said that after Monday night’s emergency meeting, he was working on proposing bylaws surrounding impeachment proceedings so that future meetings would run more smoothly.

Zambito also said that the PSGA office has been closed due to issues surrounding its wireless internet. According to Zambito, CTS has tightened wireless restrictions and that the office was being reconfigured to be connected through Ethernet.

Senator Dennis O’Brien of Fort Awesome said that he would be addressing the issue at his next CTS Committee meeting.