SGA Rundown: Senate talk proposals on limited budget

Senators made decisions concerning budget buffering, leisure lounge, a senior thesis film and the Biola Film Festival in this week’s senate meeting.

Isabelle Thompson, Business Manager • February 14, 2019

SGA Rundown: Senate talk proposals on limited budget

Photo courtesy of Photo Courtesy of Biola University

Following a session of open proposals last week, Thursday’s Student Government Association senate meeting gave four decisions while considering dwindling budget money.

BUFFER AMOUNT CHANGES

The first proposal senators discussed was regarding the decision to reduce, eliminate or maintain the budget buffer. The buffer is put in place to accommodate unexpected expenses that may arise. Vice president of Student Life Laura Igram said SGA has at least $1,000 left over in case of these instances.

Stewart Hall Senator Kylie Dillon put forward a motion to decrease the buffer to $1,500 from $10,000, which passed in a 11-0 unanimous vote.

LEISURE TAKES PRIORITY

Biola’s first-ever leisure lounge will be coming to campus after passing in a 9-2 majority vote put forward by Hart Hall senator Noah Love. With $1,053 allocated to the proposal, the lounge will give students a chance to catch their breath, relax and enjoy a free massage.

Many of the senators reported positive responses from surveyed students and approved of the low cost. Horton Hall senator Maddie Prater saw the lounge as a promotion for self-care and a good opportunity for those dealing with stress. However, Hope Hall senator Gabby Morris brought up how a finite number of massages might make the event less inclusive of the whole student body.

SENIOR THESIS FILM

With a limited amount of funds, senators expressed reservations about bestowing senior cinema and media arts major Forrest Clark the amount of $5,000 for his senior thesis film. Love suggested a partial grant of $1,000 as the video would be dedicated to Biola. However, a number of senators felt that the proposal only benefited a small portion of the student population.

After a long period of deliberation, Block senator Gabe Plendcio made a motion to deny the proposal. The motion passed 7-4.

FILM FESTIVAL PROPOSAL GRANTED

The Biola Film Festival proposition was met with widespread support from many senators, who believed it to be a returning and well-attended event. This year, the event will be held in conjunction with Chapman University and Azusa Pacific University.

Many senators saw the proposal as a good opportunity to support Biola’s recently established film school. The proposal increased by $500 from last year, but senators reasoned that it was in order to accommodate the increasing number of attendees.

The motion to approve the proposal in its full amount of $4,000 was put forward by Off Campus Community senator Naomi Hidalgo and passed in a 10-1 majority vote.

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About the Contributor

Isabelle Thompson, Business Manager

Isabelle Thompson is a senior business marketing major who enjoys gloomy weather, reading and national parks. She is also an advocate for adventure and trying new things. Good literature has always been a source of inspiration for me. Through the years I have become influenced by authors ranging from Jane Austin, Mark Twain and Scott Fitzgerald to more modern writers including Andy Weir and Stephen Chobsky. Each story I have come across has had a role in shaping the way I see the world and who I am today. It was my love of writing and storytelling which drew me to the position of News Editor at The Chimes my sophomore year. Through that experience I learned the skills necessary to produce consistent, factual and engaging stories that informed and documented events that impacted my immediate community. It was a new kind of storytelling for me which came with the responsibility of doing justice to the very real themes and lives portrayed. Coming back to The Chimes as a senior business marketing major, I feel lucky to have the position of business manager. While I will be taking a step back from writing, I am excited to be surrounded by excellent storytellers and support the publication in a way that aligns with my goals for a career in business.