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Meeting Minutes

Sunday, Septemeber 24, 2006

  1. Call to Order
  2. Roll Call
    1. Absent: Sen. Saucier, Sen. Schaefer
    2. Left Early: Sen. Davidson, Sen. Conard, Sen. Sayciewicz
    3. Others Attending: Brian Kazmin (3L), Lara Machomovitz (1L), Daniel Hoffman (1L – Budget Committee Member), Johnny Hutchinson (3L –Honor Court Chief Justice), Aimie Wilgor (2L – Honor Court Justice), Uri Strauss (1L – Budget Committee Member), Matt Evans (Weatherhead), Jesse Corn (Weatherhead)
  3. Accepting or Amending of the Agenda
  4. Accepting or Amending of the Minutes
    1. Treasurer Chan: the “Pig Book” (a.k.a. Faculty Facebook) is Dean Andelman’s reference and it’s used with affectionate affiliation.  From now on, we will call it the Faculty Facebook.
  5. Weatherheadless Ball – Matt Evans from Weatherhead
    1. Saturday, Oct. 28 Sat from 8pm-12am
    2. Asked for volunteer to come to meetings, market to law school: Sen. Bhushan & Sen. Sayciewicz
    3. Imput on how to improve the event
      1. 800 people at 3.5 hours – 2800 beers = 15 kegs & 4 taps
      2. Bring canned goods or school supplies to get in
      3. Treasurer Chan: can we get placed on promotional materials?  Evans: Yes.  It will say something like Weatherhead in conjunction with the Med and Law schools
      4. 1L senators to announce Weatherheadless to their sections: Sen. Gupta – A; Sen. Hopp – C; Sen. Wolf - B
  6. Senate Counsel’s Report
    1. Election Report and Certification of Elections
      1. Went over papers
      2. 1st year voting online – 69% cast ballots
      3. Disappointed with campaigning
      4. Justice Wilgor & Chief Justice Hutchinson – ask them if there are any questions
      5. Report: Unanimous passed – will be signed and posted on SBA website
    2. New senators – pick up copy of bylaws and refer to them & memo about proposed budget with guidelines regarding the budget
    3. Swearing in of new Senators
  7. Officers Reports
    1. President’s Report
      1. IL Introductions
      2. Bagel Breakfasts for 1L Senators
        1. Tuesday, Oct. 3 from 8:30-10:30am - Sen. Laldee is the contact person
    2. Vice-President’s Report
      1. Senator Goal Sheets – new senators need to fill them out
      2. Explain committees to 1L senators – introduced committee chairs
      3. Binder in office of goal sheets
    3. Secretary’s Report
      1. Info for new Senators: Attendance Policy and Meeting Dates
        1. No more than 2 unexcused absences
    4. Treasurer’s Report
      1. Proposed Budget Approval
      2. Explained budget committee members and proposed budget
      3. Explain how the budget process works
        1. Inquiries:
          1. Sen. Davidson: possible rollover?  Only potential for $1-2,000 roll-over.  There was no roll-over from the previous administration.
          2. Sen. Hudson: does additional funding comes from the general fund?  Yes.
          3. Sen. Tsai: how do people get reimbursed?  Fill out forms and give them to Treasurer.
          4. Sen. Nardulli: last row – 29,000 with rollover and some groups with negative amounts.  Explained Big buddies rollover.
          5. Sen. Tsai: what was the process of making decisions?  There were over 25 apps for budget committee, if people represented an org, they couldn’t speak or vote on their respective groups.  Committee looked at event request form and event – determined how much money per event.  Budget members knew how much was spent last year
      4. Budget Requests
        1. Jewish Law Students Association
          1. Sen.  Schmitt – move to limit to 10 min per org.
          2. Brian Kazmin, Jacob Uriel & Lara Nochomovitz: asking for money for Sing for the Cure – karaoke event and the money raised goes to cystic fibrosis research.  It’s the big event for the year.  Only received $100 for the event and they requested $500.  Ask to raise funds to at least $250.  They need to hire a karaoke person.  Treasurer said didn’t get much info regarding cost because of records last year, but they weren’t on board last year.  They will try to get prizes donated – no guarantees. 
            1. Sen. Bhushan: how much funds raised last year?  $300 raised, $300 matched - $600 total.   
            2. Sen. Hudson: What’s JLSA’s philosophy on co-sponsoring events?  Kazmin: not opposed to working with other groups. 
            3. Sen. Davidson: if free dj, what do you need money for?  Advertising, food, karaoke.  Could ask the guy at Bsides for free.  Student orgs can copy for free – not coming out of budget.
            4. Sen. Paeffgen: asked about prices of djs: around $300 for dj
            5. Uri Strauss (budget committee): this is an event that took a lot of prep and the person that took responsibility graduated
            6. Move to extend time: 2 min – passes.
            7. JLSA: dedicated to improving record system
            8. Sen. O’Brian: specific budget for this event? We have no information.
            9. Sen. Nardulli: other professional org to talk to?
            10. Move to grant $ - Sen Tsai, second by Sen. Hudson. 
              1. Sen. Malbasa: why get this now instead of requesting later in the year?  Can come forward later
              2. Sen. Sayciewicz: why requesting money on last year’s free stuff? Kazmin: No guarantee.
              3. Sen. Tsai: in favor – we want to give student orgs to give funds to do what they’re passionate about
              4. Secretary Aldes: It may be better to wait and see what they get donated, then they can come back and ask for remaining funds.
              5. Sen. Malbasa: move to lay on the table – continue to plan the event – no opposed to giving money, but wait until more details and bring up at a later date.  2nd. 
              6. Debate on tabling: Sen. Hudson – no tabling. – no one spends money perfectly.  Sen. Zink: no tabling – everything is based on estimations.  Sen. Bhushan: agree – secular cause – $75 now and follow on appeal later.  Sen. Illar: motion to call to question.  2nd.  Vote on tabling: 6 – tabling; rest – no tabling.  Failed.  Vote on voting on giving $150 – passes. Vote on giving JLSA $150: 18 in favor; 5 opposed.  Passes – JLSA gets $150.
        2. Married Law Students Association
          1. Received $210 – appeal 2 requests for bbq cookouts.  $50 for each and requested $250 each for food and drinks.
            1. Todd Hess: Opening bbq to bring in new members and closing bbq after finals – not convenient to come to school and bring families, and that’s what’s trying to be promoted.  Hold them in guyaga county because of free parks.  Kickoff yesterday in g county – 15 law students and 47 people total, including 17 kids.  They want an additional $400 for the bbqs. 
              1. Sen. Schmitt: what were the total receipts?: drinks were $80.  $250 good approximate of what was spent.
              2. Sen. Hudson: Possibly effective for SBA to fully fund one event and do a potluck for the other?  Hess: People typically bring extras anyway.  $5 per person anyway.  Last year didn’t submit all receipts and they ate some of the cost.
              3. Sen. Illar: How many law students attended that were non-married?  None.
              4. Secretary Aldes: Have you looked into closer venues?  Events don’t seem “open” if event takes place far away.  Hess: For the opening lunch, for those interested in coming, they set up carpools for people.
              5. Vice-Pres. Holmes: Of 47 attendees, how many were law students? 15.
              6. Sen. Bhushan: What’s the strength of the org?  60 on listserve.
              7. Sen. Zink: advertising?  Flyers and email listerve and today’s news.
              8. Sen. Hudson: move to give $150.  Org. is important and should have a 1st event for 1Ls.   
              9. Sen. Zink: they can ask for more later. 
              10. Vice-Pres. Holmes: Have each event for $125.  That’s reasonable – if 40 people attend, they can get enough for $2.50/3 a person.
              11. Sen. O’Brian: wants to know what events entail – hard to weigh one over the other. 
              12. Sen. Schmitt – dinner cost us $250.
              13. Passes for $150. Unanimous.
      5. Approval of budget
        1. Sen. Zink: move to discuss 10 min SBA’s budget – passes.
          1. Pres. Choy: explains what $15,000 covers.  Better for visibility to submit request.  Lots of problems doing it the way it was previously done.  Seemed more fair because the budget committee voted on it, as opposed to us voting on ourselves.
          2. Sen. Zink: torn on getting budget for SBA – budget of that size – we’re getting funds that should be going to other orgs.  We run things more smoothly, but we should make it as small as possible and if things come up, it goes through the senate – senate should have more control.
          3. Sen. Hudson: ask for clarification – what’s concern?  Sen. Zink: Heard grumbling from students about the budget allocations.  Voicing the opinion of some students.
          4. Sen. Nardulli: Deficit for receptions?  $200 for 5.  If we have surplus from Weatherheadless, it would be fair to make up some of deficit for lunches and return the rest to the general fund.  Motion to reduce funds for Weatherheadless by $750 and give $250 to lunches?   Hold on to motion to accept.
          5. Sen. Malbasa: by submitting SBA’s budget, in effect, we took away discretion of the senate, although it may have been more expedient. 
          6. Sen. Lagan: clarification to Sen. Malbasa – old system more true to the way most bodies operate.  If we’re asking other orgs to come forth and ask, shouldn’t we do the same?
          7. Sen. Paeffgen: approves detailed budget for SBA increases accountability.  Give all surplus to general fund.  New audit process – honor court and senate counsel looks at whether event was held.  If not, funds go back to general fund.  Make an effort to publicize that.
          8. Sen. Hudson: making a bug mistake – SBA is not like other student orgs.  Sba is always supportive of other orgs and we’re the body that makes these decisions so if not all money is spent, we have right of review.  Don’t give in to every complaint.
          9. Sen. Bhushan: concern is how spending money and properly accounted for – is there an interim budget – check halfway to make sure things are spent?  Treasurer Chan: 1st year all budgets are posted online.  Transparent process we’re doing this year.  ½ way thru is a review.
          10. Sen. Illar: applaud for making us more accountable.  Motion to end discussion.
          11. Sen. Schmitt – motion to accept entire budget with amendments. 
          12. Sen. Narduli – motion for amendment – with the $1000 extra from Weatherheadless – give $500 to student-faculty lunches and $500 to general fund.  Reduce SBA budget by $500.  2nd.  15 for, 6 opposed. Now vote on whether to reduce.  15 for.  9 against.  Passes.
          13. Pass budget with amendment:
            1. Sen. Zink – move to remove $400 from sporting events to general fund. Doesn’t take that much and he has no problem requesting funding when it comes up – wants to reduce money.
            2. Sen. Tsai: don’t we have a tournament coming up?  When will you ask for that money?  Sen. Zink: Yes, we can get equipment for IM – only have to buy drinks.
            3. Secretary Aldes: Why not keep the money and then give what you don’t use to the general fund?
            4. Sen. Schmitt – we should defer to committee chair.
            5. Sen. Zink – remove $350 of $400.
            6. 15 for, 7 opposed – passes.  Remove $350.
            7. Sen. O’Brian – not enough time for discussion.  Move to add money back.  Has to be someone in the majority.
            8. Sen. Hudson – This discussion is inefficient and not a good way to proceed.  This is a philosophical debate that does not to be settled in this manner.
            9. Move to amend budget – favor of voting: 17 for - passes.  Vote on approving budget as amended: SBA degrease by $850, JLSA and Married Law Students increase by $150 each.  18 for, 5 opposed. 1 abstention.  BUDGET APPROVED
  8. Chris Le – asking for additional funding for ABA competition team.  He’s requesting funds to go to competition for 6 law students.  $1810 total cost – requesting $1500 for general fund.  1Ls included.  They received $2500 from school last year – administration cut it to $1000.  Total cost includes entry fees, transportation, and hotel.  Disincentive for 1Ls to join if they have to pay $175.
    1. Sen. Hudson: proposal – school’s budgets were tight.  Want to send heads of orgs?  If give funds, can you use this to bring value to rest of campus?  1L opportunity. Puts the schools name out there.
    2. Sen. Paeffgen: team members were not warned about costs?  Le: didn’t have to before – they just found out.
    3. Sen. Nardulli – total costs $1950 and received 1000.  Asking for 950?
    4. Sen. O’Brian: is that your only event?  No, if win, we go to nationals.  We don’t know who pays yet.
    5. Sen. Illan: $1000 from Dean.  Any fundraising efforts on your own?  Not yet because just found out.  Asking ABA rep, ABA said no. 
    6. Sen. Bhushan: 3 2Ls and 2 3L – minimum #?  Pairs of 2.
    7. Sen. Hudson: Nov 11 competition date.  Appealed decision from school unsuccessfully.
    8. Sen. Paffegen: How are other teams compensated?  Mock trial and moot court have other funds.
    9. Sen. Logue – move to give them no money.  Maybe giving money/entry fee for national.
      1. Sen. O’Brian: give them 1/3.  don’t discourage this
      2. Sen. Paeffgen: Give $450 for entry fee
      3. Secretary Aldes: Possibly give them something, but we can’t take too much out of the general fund otherwise there won’t be enough for the year.
      4. Sen. Schmitt: $0 – we can’t set a precedent – it’s always been administration that pays for trips.  Deans tell them to get money from SBA now – it’s bad that we now have to pay for this.  We need to put our foot down and not pick up administration’s slack.
      5. Sen. Hudson: $0 – only give money if they bring something back to campus. 
      6. Sen. Tsai: can’t let team be stuck in a hard place.  We should give them funds to give $555 – $100 per team member. 
      7. Vice-Pres. Holmes: no money because not everyone can attend – other orgs have to have open events.  Can’t pay for speakers travel costs.
      8. Sen. Logue: students shouldn’t be funding other students’ trips
      9. Sen. Nardulli: providing a benefit for students to try out and helps reputation – propose allocating $400 for necessary expenses.  Proposal and amendment
        1. Sen. Zink: not unprecedented.  Shouldn’t use this as a way to set precedent.  Fund essential needs
        2. Sen. Illar: table – see what they can get on their own first.  Move to table.  Second – Sen. Lagan.  Sen. Hudson: opposed.  We aren’t using this as a beating stick.  Give $200 for transportation – and SBA passes a resolution.
        3. Vice-Pres. Holmes: they aren’t an organization as traditional organizations go.
        4. Vote on whether to table: 2 for – fails
        5. Amendment to give 400.  7 for, 12 against, 1 abstention – fails
        6. Voting on zero dollars:
          1. Sen. Bhushan: give $110 – lowest amount given in student org – fails.
          2. Sen. Hudson: $200 for transportation and resolution to admin to give – 13 for, 7 opposed.  Passes to give $200 – amendment.  Sen. Tsai and Sen. Hudson will draft resolution.
        7. Motion to allocate $200 to Chris Le.  Sen. Pottket-Fishel – appeal to admin first and then give money.  Sen. Malbasa: object – way to make a point not by giving funding – no teeth to it.  Sen. Schmitt: put our foot down.  Open floodgates. Sen.  Zink: how does us giving $200 mean giving our budget away.  Sen. Tsai: how much was not used last year?  We don’t have that info yet.  Possibly $1-2,000 left?
        8. Vote on $200 and resolution: 12 for, 9 against.  Passes – give $200 to Chris Le.
  9. Committee Reports
    1. Admissions
      1. Sen. Bliss: Meeting with Chris Lucak on 9/14
        1. Discussed admitted student day events and monthly online chat for prospective students with faculty
    2. Student Life 
      1. Sen. Pottker-Fishel
        1. Fall Ball: sell tickets this week.  It’s at the Atrium on Oct. 14 from 7pm-12am. There will be a DJ.  Parking at BP is $4.  Tickets - $35 each.  Need people to sign up to sell tickets.  M-F 12-1 and next week. 
        2. SBA Retreat: wants ideas.  We each pay for whatever we’re doing – not from SBA budget.  Email Carrie with suggestions.
      2. Sen. Hudson: Student-Faculty Relations Subcommittee
        1. Lunch – Oct. 5 at 12 – theme is meet 1L professors.  1L senators get the word out.  Will be picking a 1L for the committee.
      3. Sen. Davidson: Bar Review – probably Paninis – will let us know soon
    3. Community Service
      1. Sen. Schmitt – 1 – 3:30pm on Fridays for 5 Fridays.  This one is at the Ronald McDonald House – can take 15 pple.
    4. CSO - no
    5. Curriculum
      1. Sen. Paeffgen: Faculty contact – waiting for 1st faculty meeting of the year.  Gathering opinions from students – want to hear feedback
    6. Library
      1. Sen. Saykiewicz: Library hours – talking about keeping library open 24 hours but budget concerns – getting serious consideration
  10. Subcommittee Reports
  11. Old Business
    1. Sen. Tsai: IT Fee Resolution
      1. Explained resolution – university huge deficit – IT is 2.4 million – want to add on $400 starting fall 2007 to all students – recurring fee.  See blackboard.  Timeline – board meeting early October to vote on this.  Resolutions matter.
        1. Sen. Hudson: grad student org created a statement – fairly similar to ours. 
        2. Sen. Schmitt – if we pass, what happens?  Forward to administration.  Provost Anderson – ran into him and he  is oblivious to what students think.  We will deliver it to president of university.
        3. Treasurer Chan: unfriendly – strike lines 26-27.  Sen. Illar – strike last 2 lines – not professional.
        4. Passes unanimouosly – strike last 2 lines
  12. New Business
    1. Sen. Hudson
      1. Proposed Jeopardy-style event
        1. Dean Simson directed Dean Andelman to do it – so there is money for it.  All in favor of supporting event.
      2. Computer stations
        1. Heard from students that they want computer stations like in Twing.  Are people interested in finding out if it is feasible to get stations?  Sen. Nardulli – look into it.  And additional printer (Sen. Paeffgen).
    2. Sen. Nardulli: increase student org allotment
      1. Table to text meeting
  13. Announcements
    1. Choy: Pictures
  14. Cheers & Jeers
    1. Sen. Schmitt – cheers for senate having a backbone
    2. Sen. Malbasa: cheers to budget committee and to budget.  Jeer to Schticks on principle.
    3. Sen. Hudson – cheer to everyone and elections and Sen. Tsai and food.
    4. President Choy: Cheer 1Ls
    5. Secretary Aldes: Jeer to the registrar’s office for scheduling my finals at the same time
    6. Vice-President Holmes: jeer to Browns
    7. Sen. Zink: in spirit of former Sen. Arnold, jeer to hippie senate.
  15. Adjournment