The Associated Students of the University of Arizona Senate met Wednesday to discuss the use of senate funds and upcoming events and volunteering for Hunger & Homelessness Awareness week.
At large Senator Damanitza Romo announced that the funding request process has been finalized, and will be available through a Google form. The Budget and Oversight Committee, chaired by Romo, will evaluate most requests, but if the amount requested exceeds $500, it will be voted on by the entire senate.
Associate Dean of Students for Student Governance and Programs Talia Myrick clarified that the funding is entirely separate from club appropriations, and will be used specifically for senate initiatives, rather than clubs, programs or cultural centers.
These initiatives do not need to be specifically led by senators and can potentially benefit other ASUA programs and services, but should be in pursuit of the senate’s goals, which have yet to be clearly defined.
“You need to make sure that it is in alignment with what your objectives are,” Myrick said of funding requests.
The request form is slated to go live the week after the Thanksgiving holiday. The senate is scheduled to define their goals and policies for the rest of the year at their retreat in early December.
In other news, the week of Nov. 13 is Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week, an initiative hosted by the Basic Needs Center to raise awareness about food and housing insecurity.
“It’s basically a week that’s recognized throughout the country but Campus Pantry, Campus Closet and Fostering Success all want to work together in terms of acknowledging where that exists on campus as well as around campus,” said ASUA Administrative Vice President Sara Kandel.
Events for the week include cooking workshops on Nov. 13 and 14 at the Student Union Memorial Center, care package making on Nov. 16 in the ASUA conference room and a Campus Pantry fundraiser at MotoSonora Brewing Co. on Nov. 17.
“It’s a way to gather community, provide education and also collect basic needs and distribute them,” Kandel said.
Other upcoming donation drives include the Women and Gender Resource Center’s wish list and a clothing drive through the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences starting Nov. 20.
The ASUA Senate has three remaining meetings scheduled for the school year, and will meet next on Nov. 15 in their office on the third floor of the SUMC.
