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.