In the past, this newspaper’s editorial board has criticized the Student Government Association for mishandling student funds.
But, this time, it’s time to give credit where credit is due.
On Tuesday night, the House of Student Representatives acted responsibly when it decided to table a bill to loan nearly $38,000 to the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization for its proposed student-run television station, CEO TV.
The loan, the largest in SGA history, would draw nearly a third from the House’s general reserve fund of $120,000.
House members said they wanted to ensure members thoroughly understood the details and implications of the bill.
We’re just glad they’re not rushing into any decisions.
Because there has to be a legitimate reason why CEO club members didn’t approach a bank before the House in order to secure financing for the station.
While SGA would recover the business’s assets if the station failed, House members need to consider if they would operate their own station if CEO TV failed, and whether or not they would be able to resell the station’s equipment at its original value.
In a question and answer session Tuesday, House members appropriately asked to see CEO TV’s business plan and wondered what type of equipment would be used for the station’s broadcasting.
They also asked which faculty members the club had spoken with and what those individuals had said.
The answers given by CEO club member Michael Hennig were far from specific.
As House and CEO club member Trevor Smith said, the idea needs to be “patched out more.”
The House needs “more facts before we can give a $40,000 loan,” Smith said.
CEO club members need to lay out concrete details of the station’s operation and demonstrate that they have the means, or the departmental support, to provide the TCU programming they say they will.
Either that, or they need to be a little bit more realistic.
Until then, kudos to the House for putting the bill on hold.
And students, it’s time to let your House representative know what you think.
