PSGA Blog Number 17: More Changes to MEC and GPC Position, Funds Proposals, and a Liquor Tent

The PSGA met on Wednesday, April 1 and approved two of three funds proposals from the general reserves. There were also discussions over the Steering Committee’s proposals including further changes to the new PSGA Constitution regarding the positions of Major Events Coordinator and General Programming Coordinator.

Between the two proposed additions to the constitution, the most disputed were changes affecting the MEC and GPC positions in relation to lacking records of activities. The Steering Committee proposed that both the MEC and GPC keep a daily record of all business related interactions and submit them to the future Student Activity Coordinator, Coordinator of Histories and Documents, and the College Administration.

The proposal was made in light of recent years where performers were cancelled by the college and charged traveling fees that the College Administration had no records to dispute. The Senate determined that the wording of the proposal was problematic in specificity and the proposal was tabled until next week so the Steering Committee could revise it.

“I think this proposal would get in the way of these people doing their jobs,” said Senator James Blinstrub of commuters. Blinstrub opposed the proposal and said they were reactions to isolated incidents that have only occurred in recent years. He and other senators also said that having the MEC and GPC keep daily records of all their activities would require too much paperwork to keep track of.

PSGA President Joe Matoske said the College Administration has spoken with him about their concerns with continually paying cancelled performers’ traveling fees, and they may prohibit the further usage of Culture Shock space, except The Stood, if they continue to be forced to pay fees without having any records to protect them.

MEC Jeff Levin said that the most recently cancelled band, Every Time I Die, was not paid for travelling fees because of a disclaimer put at the bottom of his e-mails sent to them. He said that the disclaimer is enough protection against future fees instead of the additions to the constitution.

The second proposal, which was approved unanimously by the Senate, proposed that the Executive Board meets within the first 10 days of classes to schedule meetings with Student Life professionals.

In his executive report, Levin told the Senate he was working with Red Bull to implement an additional tent to Culture Shock that would distribute $1 shots of liquor and free Red Bull. With the argument that drinking liquor was quicker, easier, and less filling, Levin’s tentative initiative was unpopular with the Senate.

Levin said that the Culture Shock lineup was complete with the exception of contracts from Murphy’s Law and Drake, which he said would be complete by the end of the week. He also said he was working with GPC Becky Sellinger on Culture Shock posters and that T-shirts may still be cut due to budget concerns. In promotion of Culture Shock, Levin said he would be posting flyers on campus to advertise a website he will launch that would list the bands and their performance dates and times.

The Senate approved two funds proposals from the Comic Book Liberation Army (CBLA) and GLBTU with funds to be taken from the general reserves. GLBTU was permitted $850 to fund a guest speaker and musical entertainment and CBLA was permitted $250 for printing costs to fund the student-run comic book anthology, Poor Choice. Chair of the Senate Russell Zambito commended both groups, saying that they cut their original proposals down with the knowledge of the PSGA’s decreasing funds.

In his executive report, Zambito said he spent the week discussing the Alternative Clinic’s charter with Directors Noel O’Donnell and Sloane Sandler, stating it was in violation of the college’s non-discrimination policy. Zambito said the charter would be rephrased so it doesn’t state that they only hire female interns.

Matoske said he met with John Delate to discuss tuition increases and announced there would be a four percent increase in housing next year, a much lower increase when compared to other SUNY schools. He also said that New York State voted yesterday in Albany with decisions including the restoration to changes affecting the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) and restoration of University Wide Programs. However, they also voted in favor of allocating 80 percent of the tuition to NYS despite recent resistance from college students and professors.

The third funds proposal heard by the Senate was from the Office of Student Life, which asked for $3,000 to fund new furniture for the commuter lounge in Campus Center North. The Senate voted to table the discussion until next week so a Student Life representative could be present to speak. Senator Scott Torrellas of commuters spoke on the matter saying that the college was limited to furniture outlets, which included a NYS prison, due to strict regulations from NYS.