Senate passes resolution commemorating victims of Va. shooting

Sen. Brad Burns, a political science junior, presented a resolution about the Virginia Tech shooting on Monday that was unanimously passed by the Associated Students of the University of Arizona Senate at last night’s meeting.

The resolution was titled “”A Resolution of Sympathy and Resolve”” and was written with Sen. Shawn Ingram.

The resolution states that “”the students of the University of Arizona send their deepest condolences to the victims, their families, fellow students at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and share in the grief of all those impacted by the tragic events of the day.””

All of the senators were in support of this resolution.

“”I sincerely thank you for writing this,”” said Sen. Steven Gerner, a political science senior.

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Group gets only hotel expenses for Chomsky trip

The Senate approved a $2,551.74 consent agenda for campus clubs last night as well.

Days Beyond Recall, a campus journal, requested more than $800 from the Appropriations Board on Monday night but was only allocated $126 for hotel expenses.

The group asked the ASUA Senate to reconsider the amount allocated.

Members wanted money to go to Boston for a meeting with Noam Chomsky, a professor of linguistics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and noted political writer.

The Appropriations Board said that because the group had received funding earlier in the semester and the trip was to happen after the semester was already over that they felt funding only hotel expenses was fair.

Camp Wildcat received $370 for their last camp of the semester.

The Appropriations Board said although Camp Wildcat has also been previously funded throughout the semester they felt funding them was fair because “”their endeavors are exceptional”” and they split all costs with ASUA.

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Senator presents off-campus meal plan

Sen. Bryan Hill, an economics senior, presented an informational item about an off-campus meal plan he has been working on throughout the year.

The plan would be called “”Cat Cash”” and would allow students to use their CatCard at various off-campus restaurants.

“”This would allow students a greater variety in food choices – which is why I started this – but also brings in a profit to the union,”” Hill said.

A small percentage of the meal cost off-campus would go directly back to the Arizona student unions but would not cost students any more money for their meals.

“”The idea is that because of this restaurants will get a lot more business, so the percent the union takes will not really make a difference,”” Hill said.

Arizona State University has a similar program already in place in which 5.5 percent of what the meal costs goes back to their university.

“”So if you buy a $100 meal, $5.50 of that goes back to the union,”” Hill said.

These flexible Cat Cash dollars would be an entirely separate meal plan, since some parents might be uncomfortable with giving their children money for such a wide range of things, Hill said.

Things still need to be worked out and researched, but Hill said a program like this could be in place for testing as early as fall 2008.

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Pay raise for senators approved for next year

Senators approved the senate stipend change that they have been debating on for weeks last night, which set next year’s senate stipend at $1,500.

That amount is a $400 increase from the senate stipend this year, which is $1,100.

“”I really think to be a good senator you can’t have a part-time job, so I am definitely in favor of the increase,”” said Samantha Kerr, a pre-health education senior.

“”I have a part-time job right now and I either have to miss work or miss out on stuff here and I hate it,”” Kerr said.

The elected executives, Tommy Bruce, Jessica Anderson, and Jen Dang, recommended that senate stipends be set at $800 next year because of intense budget cuts that ASUA is suffering from.

“”I don’t feel like raising senate stipends agrees with the mission of why we are here,”” said Sen. Melodie Schwartz, a pre-communication sophomore, who voted against the stipend increase.

Senators-elect can change the stipend amount of the executives once they are officially in office next year, all of which have been cut. However, they cannot change their stipend amount now that this year’s senators have decided it.

– compiled by Andrea Lerch