By Daniel Johnson-Kim, Editor in Chief
The Students’ Association Congress unanimously passed two bills at its weekly meeting Wednesday. It also was briefed about the university administration’s plans to reshape the venues and methods student groups and students can use to advertise events.
University officials told the SA Congress of their plans to purchase kiosks that would be strategically placed around campus in areas that receive a lot of traffic.
On Oct. 22 Dr. Royce Money, president of the university, implemented a new policy that prohibited the posting of ads on campus doors, walls and sidewalks. Money said the policy was an attempt to mirror other universities and maintain a professional looking and clean campus.
Mauri Westbrook, director of Student Organizations and Activities, and Mary Reyes, special projects coordinator in the Executive Vice President’s office, told the Congress the kiosks and other methods of advertising were part of the university’s effort to find new ways for students to get the word out about upcoming events.
“We’ve been fortunate enough to travel to different universities and see what they’re doing,” Reyes said. “We need your help in developing this into the university you want your children to come to.”
Westbrook said she was working to make it easier for students to advertise events on myACU. She said using the student event Google calendar designed for student events, advertising on the myACU log in page and using flat screen televisions that continually have ads are possible choices to advertise events.
“We’ve been working with myACU for really the past 10 years on announcements,” Westbrook said.
Reyes showed photos of possible kiosks the university would purchase and said the decision was being influenced by visits her and other university officials made to various campuses throughout the nation.
Congress members questioned whether or not the kiosks would be effective and pondered how students could advertise during SA elections. Dr. Jean Noel Thompson, vice president and dean of Student Life, said he was open to having an exception to the poster policy for SA elections, but no decision has been made.
SA also unanimously passed a bill to give FilmFest $1,500 from the Congressional Project Fund to help pay for the event in March. Film-Fest officers already had been granted $1,500 by the SA Appropriations committee but said they needed more money to help secure the Paramount Theatre in downtown Abilene as the venue for the event.
Sophomore Sens. Rachel Morris and Colin Barnard wrote the legislation and argued it was necessary for the popular event.
“It makes it a lot easier because now we don’t have to worry about the Paramount expenses,” said Jonathan Davis, junior business marketing major from Hoffman Estates, Ill. and co-Chair of FilmFest.
Davis said it will cost more than $12,000 to fund the event, and FilmFest officials were working to fundraise the rest of the required funds.
SA also passed a bill to appropriate $150 to pay for ads in the Optimist to advertise three free Bowling Nights in the coming weeks. Both bills passed 39-0-0.
