By Kelsi Peace, Managing Editor
The Students’ Association Congress restructured seats and spent the first of its new $6,500 student request fund at Wednesday’s meeting.
Rep. Jordan Hancock resigned from his position as Hardin Administration Building representative to allow Joe Bynum to maintain a voting status as an Administration Building Representative. The building’s representatives were over-appointed last week.
Sophomore Senator Michael Amend and Adams Hall Rep. Amy Hedgecock also resigned.
Pope Fellows Jennifer King, senior financial management major from Grapevine; senior senator Brandon Smith and Madison Saniuk, senior international relations major from Arlington, petitioned Congress for money to send four or six members of Jack Pope Fellows to a Feb. 21 law, religion and ethics conference at Pepperdine University.
“It isn’t just a law thing,” King said. “It isn’t just Poly Sci students.”
King said money Congress appropriated in the student budget requests will fund the annual Pope Fellows trip to Austin, when the organization accompanies Abilenearea elementary students to the Capitol.
The member touted the conference’s potential the help the student body through good connections and information.
“It’s also really in line with the mission statement of ACU,” Saniuk said. “By going, by bringing this information back, we’re doing a service to ACU.”
Rep. Sarah Pulis and vice president Daniel-Paul Watkins are also Pope Fellows who could potentially attend the conference.
Smith said Pepperdine alumni committed to subsidize some costs of the conference and members plan to donate frequent flier miles to help alleviate the cost.
“If you guys give us zero, then we’ll be back at square one again,” Smith said.
However, some raised concerns at funding a group that does not clearly serve the whole student body, citing the new direction the Cabinet has said it wants to move with the budget.
“For me, it’s never been about dollars,” chief development officer Matt Greenberg said. “This is a step backwards. I just don’t think this is an appropriate use of the student activity fee.”
Worthington, who supported giving the group money, also lauded the new vision for the budget.
“We want to empower people,” he said. “We also recognize that sometimes empowering people means not giving them money.”
Others argued the group has campus-wide benefits.
“Jack Pope Fellows helps bring students to the ACU campus,” senior senator Hallie Roberts said. “Any program that we fund on campus could go [to conferences] without our help.”
Roberts raised concerns last week over funding a SIFE conference and denying funds to Jack Pope Fellows.
Many voiced concerns over setting a precedent, with several other student organizations lined up to request money.
“What students organization does benefit every student on campus?” Smith said. “That’s a pretty high bar to set.”
Bingham advocated funding 75 percent of the cost, telling Congress, “Let’s set a good precedent and get other groups in here.”
Congress members layered on three amendments to sophomore senator David Vanderpool’s motion to appropriate $2,500 to Jack Pope Fellows.
Congress struck down amendments of $1,868 and $600 before amending Vanderpool’s motion to allocate $1,366 to the organization. The motion passed 21-6-4.
Any organization can present a request to Congress.
