At the beginning of the meeting, vice president of finance, technology and HR Graham Gantzer explained $18,000 was moved from contingency to go toward the budget established by Student Government Association. When the budget was created and approved in December 2015, the amount of funding was based on an estimate of 4,050 students. The actual number of enrolled students for spring semester 2016 fell to 3,850. Overall, this means that rather than $364,500 be directed to SGA, and subsequently the other groups they distributed funds to, they only received $346,500, which led to the discrepancy of $18,000.
Next, athletics director Bethany Miller gave a presentation to the senate sharing details about Biola’s transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II. An application was submitted in January 2016 and representatives from the NCAA will visit Biola in April or May. The athletics department will have a provisional status for the next two school years and if all of the NCAA conditions are met, active participation will be granted in the 2019-2020 school year.
Alicia Andre, assistant director of MEPD, and Tamra Malone, director of diversity initiatives, shared with senate upcoming changes likely to occur in MEPD next year. The MEPD office is being restructured and this new plan will be presented to the President’s Administration Council in April. After that presentation it will subsequently be shared with students for additional input.
The current funding MEPD receives from SGA will be shifted to use for affinity groups, gatherings for students to find a community with others that share their ethnic background, allowing them to have student coordinators and group funding. With the current funds they receive through SGA, approximately $19,000, they could fund five affinity groups from $19,250. Andre and Malone also explained they could form eight affinity groups for $29,600. Though this was not an official proposal, their purpose in approaching the senate was so the senators would consider increasing MEPD funding when they establish the budget for fall 2016.
The LGBTQ survey sent to Biola students in an email on March 7 received over 1,500 results before it was closed on March 20. Jacob Keith, Hart senator, explained this was almost double the previous record of the number of survey results and was likely due to the incentive of two Bluetooth speakers.
Tickets for the Lecrae concert are still available online at Tickeyfly.com and those who use the promotional code “BiolaSGA” will receive their ticket at the student rate of $10.
PROPOSALS
Brandon Spring, senior cinema and media arts major and writer and director of “The Eastern Wood,” proposed for $2,750 to premiere his rendition on the story of Cain and Abel. The funds would go toward equipment needed to play the film, food for 250 students and decorations for the event. The event hosted on May 20 would occur in Sutherland Hall and revolve around the 12 to 15 minute film.
Jenny Oetzell, journalism peer academic adviser and junior journalism major, and Ryan Printz, CMA peer academic adviser and senior CMA major, proposed for $140 to host an event titled the Media Martinelli Mixer. The event would occur on April 6 and would allow CMA and journalism students to become better acquainted since they share the production center but often do not know each other. Oetzell and Printz expect approximately 60 to 80 students to attend.
David Greig, junior CMA major, proposed for $500 to host a premiere of a film entitled “Touring.” The event would occur on April 9, and the funding would go toward an HD projector and food for attendees through Bon Appetit. It also includes the fees for event, tech and custodial workers through Biola’s Event Services.
Joey Tereba, undeclared junior, proposed for $1,050 to continue Biola Trivia nights at Eagle’s Nest on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. This amount would pay for trivia jockey alum JJ Carroll’s services for seven nights beginning after students return from spring break and continue weekly, with the last event on the Wednesday before finals. The attendance for the event last semester generally ranged from 30 to 60 students. Tereba has yet to verify with the management of Eagle’s Nest that the trivia nights can continue to be hosted there but there are no foreseeable concerns in relation to the construction near Eagle’s Nest.
Brendan Ashley, English secondary instruction major, and Michael Grieb, senior psychology major, proposed for $4,500 for the Heat of the Night event, which will be held on May 13. The funding would go toward rooms where students have the opportunity to socialize and eat food, and experiential rooms for students to go through. Ashley and Grieb plan to focus on increasing the engagement of the members on their floor was well as better advertising. Last year they had approximately 350 visitors but hope for 750 this year.
