The Student Government Association House of Representatives passed a resolution that would allow SGA members to wear medallions and cords at graduation, but upheld a veto to reject emergency funding for a sorority’s philanthropy event.
Eta Iota Sigma approached SGA to request $500 in emergency funds to help produce their annual dance marathon to raise money for their philanthropy. The House executive committee rejected the request to allocate money to HIS, arguing the request did not meet emergency status criteria.
Vice president Brett Major said HIS requested the money to purchase additional decorations and prizes, but the event could carry on as planned without the additional funding.
“If the event would only function with emergency funding, then that would be a different story,” Major said.
He said if HIS had approached the Activities Funding Board first, its financial request could have been granted.
Treasurer Jacob Barnes said the Activities Funding Board requires money requests for the fall be submitted by April of the previous semester. HIS did not submit its request in time.
Six representatives introduced a resolution to implement a point system for SGA members to award themselves certain graduation honors. Depending on the number of points accumulated, based on positions served, they may wear a cord or a medallion at their graduation ceremony.
According to the resolution, the student body treasurer would distribute money from the SGA budget to purchase the cords and medallions. Barnes, the current treasurer, said SGA will rearrange the current budget to assign money to the graduation honors. The resolution did not specify how much money would be allocated to the awards.
SGA also voted to grant $500 of emergency funding to the Student Filmmakers Association to complete short films for the rest of the year. The emergency request came to SGA after SFA was forced to pay for an accident that damaged equipment last semester. Because this incident was not foreseen before the April AFB deadline, SGA deemed the request worthy of emergency funding.