TCU Senate Update

During a relatively brief Sunday night meeting, the Tufts Community Union Senate (TCU)approved funding for five different clubs and listened to a report on new clubs on campus.

TCU Treasurer Adam Kochman, a junior, began the Treasurer’s Report with a request for funding from the Tufts Association of South Asians (TASA). The group requested a total of $17,570, out of which the Allocations Board recommended giving $15,180. The recommended cuts to the funding request came partially from dance competition application fees that TASA had requested. Kochman explained that TASA had not yet been accepted to the competitions, and the Senate did not feel comfortable betting money on whether or not TASA would be accepted. Although many senators were concerned by the large sum of money, other senators pointed out that TASA is not a singular group, but rather a large umbrella group. The Senate eventually approved the sum of $15,180 by a vote of 19-2-6.

The next funding item on the agenda was a request from the African Students Organization for $117.04. The money will cover the registration of an individual student from the club to attend a business forum at the Wharton School of Business in Philadelphia. The Senate approved the funding by a vote of 28-0-1.

The Art History Society requested a total of $126.25 for Tufts Catering expenses, which was approved by acclamation.

The Senate next considered a request from Tufts Campus Hope, a Seventh-day Adventist group at Tufts. The group requested $2,814.60 for three students to attend a conference in Phoenix, which will focus on missionary work. The Allocations Board suggested that the airfare for the students should be covered, but the food should not be funded by TCU, cutting the funding request to $2,694.60. The Senate passed this revised figure by a vote of 28-1-0, with TCU Senate President Robert Joseph, a senior, voting against the motion.

Finally, the Senate considered a request of $1,900 from the Pan-African Alliance for honoraria for two guest speakers. However, Kochman announced that one of the speakers had canceled, cutting the funding needed down to $1,450. The remaining speaker will be Acklyn Lynch, associate professor at the University of Maryland Baltimore. The Senate passed the honorarium for Lynch by acclamation.

As the final part of the Treasurer’s Report, Kochman noted that before the meeting’s expenditures there had been $140,000 left in the supplementary funding budget for the rest of the year. He explained that if this funding ran out, he may have to shift some of the surplus money into the supplemental fund. However, Kochman emphasized that he would prefer not to take this step.

Kochman also touched on the Student Support Fund, a new fund whose purpose is to aid students who are financially unable to pay personal contributions for clubs of which they are members. Kochman said that he was glad to see the fund being used, but he would also like knowledge of its existence to become more widespread.

The meeting next moved on to a report on clubs which have been recently recognized. According to Sophia Gomez of the TCU Judiciary, the French Club and the Tufts Historical Review were recognized by the judicial body. However, Gomez, a first-year, explained that the request for recognition by the Ski and Snowboard Club was tabled due to liability issues. Finally, the Country Swing Dance group was recognized, pending the approval of Joe Golia, the director of the Office for Campus Life.

Gomez added that the TCU Judiciary is in the process of adopting stricter bylaws in order to restrict the number of new groups which can be recognized. She explained that this was due to an overabundance of student groups on campus, which made funding unsustainable.

The meeting concluded with the Senate discussing plans for an election to replace former TCU Senator Andrew Núñez, a senior, who has resigned from the Senate. Joseph explained that the election for the vacancy will take place at the beginning of the spring semester.