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Bailey Morrison

Promotional value of T-shirts questioned at SGA

By Bailey Morrison


Senators questioned the value of funding clubs for T-shirts again during SGA’s meeting on Dec. 12.


SUAB requested and received $19,475 for a “surprise” event to be held during the spring semester. Approximately $4,000 of this funding would pay for 450 T-shirts.


SGA held an executive session that The Gatepost could not attend during the meeting to discuss specifics of the event with SUAB president Kayleigh MacMaster.


MacMaster said giving away T-shirts at the end of the event was a way to “incentivize” students to stay throughout all the activities being held.


Karl Bryan, student trustee, said even when T-shirts are given out at the end of events, they aren’t worn around campus and the “theoretical incentive” isn’t enough to justify spending money on the shirts.


“SUAB is an established club on campus and yet they need T-shirts to bring people to an event. It just doesn’t make sense,” he said. “We haven’t seen people going to events this semester ... and T-shirts are still being given out.”


Senator Olivia Beverlie said, “I think it would be awesome to have more T-shirts on campus because I haven’t seen a ton. ... I feel like if people are going to this event just to get a T-shirt, they’re going to be the ones actually wearing it.”


During the Student Trustee’s Report, Bryan said, “I wanted to express my disappointment in senators this semester. We don’t think critically about anything. We don’t do anything outside office hours or required things.”


He added SGA represents the student body as a whole and senators should be doing more.


Bryan also said he attended the Student Advisory Council at MassBay, which addressed ways to help homeless and food-insecure students on campus. He said these practices will be brought to campus next semester.


During open forum, Senator Valerie Paradise addressed a new policy regarding students who receive an “incomplete” in their classes at the end of the semester. “There’s a lot more steps to get an incomplete at the end of the year. ... It’s an already stressful situation that’s being made harder.”


SGA President Kyle Rosa said the process for receiving an incomplete was changed because in the past, receiving an incomplete would impact a student’s GPA as if they had failed the course, which could then affect their scholarship and financial aid eligibility.


Rosa did not say how the new incomplete process would affect students’ GPAs.


Also during the meeting, Community Service Club received $4,700 for its local alternative spring break trip to a Habitat for Humanity build site. The cost includes $3,100 for hotel rooms for 11 students.


Community Service Club received the full amount after Senator Seth Signa moved for the club to be given the money pending the club attempt to find free housing in the area.


In other news:


•Black Student Union was allocated $1,125 for a screening of “Selma” and a paint night.


•Ski and Snowboard Club was allocated $23,895 for six ski trips. The money will go toward equipment and bus rentals. The club was also allocated $4,241 for promotional items, including joggers and beanies.


•Art Club was allocated $13,634 for its annual Armory trip to New York City.


•SGA was allocated $1,831.98 for a new couch for Club Room 1.


During the SGA meeting on Dec. 5:


Senators questioned the value of funding clubs for T-shirts again during SGA’s meeting on Dec. 12.


SUAB requested and received $19,475 for a “surprise” event to be held during the spring semester. Approximately $4,000 of this funding would pay for 450 T-shirts.


SGA held an executive session that The Gatepost could not attend during the meeting to discuss specifics of the event with SUAB president Kayleigh MacMaster.


MacMaster said giving away T-shirts at the end of the event was a way to “incentivize” students to stay throughout all the activities being held.


Karl Bryan, student trustee, said even when T-shirts are given out at the end of events, they aren’t worn around campus and the “theoretical incentive” isn’t enough to justify spending money on the shirts.


“SUAB is an established club on campus and yet they need T-shirts to bring people to an event. It just doesn’t make sense,” he said. “We haven’t seen people going to events this semester ... and T-shirts are still being given out.”


Senator Olivia Beverlie said, “I think it would be awesome to have more T-shirts on campus because I haven’t seen a ton. ... I feel like if people are going to this event just to get a T-shirt, they’re going to be the ones actually wearing it.”


During the Student Trustee’s Report, Bryan said, “I wanted to express my disappointment in senators this semester. We don’t think critically about anything. We don’t do anything outside office hours or required things.”


He added SGA represents the student body as a whole and senators should be doing more.


Bryan also said he attended the Student Advisory Council at MassBay, which addressed ways to help homeless and food-insecure students on campus. He said these practices will be brought to campus next semester.


During open forum, Senator Valerie Paradise addressed a new policy regarding students who receive an “incomplete” in their classes at the end of the semester. “There’s a lot more steps to get an incomplete at the end of the year. ... It’s an already stressful situation that’s being made harder.”


SGA President Kyle Rosa said the process for receiving an incomplete was changed because in the past, receiving an incomplete would impact a student’s GPA as if they had failed the course, which could then affect their scholarship and financial aid eligibility.


Rosa did not say how the new incomplete process would affect students’ GPAs.


Also during the meeting, Community Service Club received $4,700 for its local alternative spring break trip to a Habitat for Humanity build site. The cost includes $3,100 for hotel rooms for 11 students.


Community Service Club received the full amount after Senator Seth Signa moved for the club to be given the money pending the club attempt to find free housing in the area.


In other news:


•Black Student Union was allocated $1,125 for a screening of “Selma” and a paint night.


•Ski and Snowboard Club was allocated $23,895 for six ski trips. The money will go toward equipment and bus rentals. The club was also allocated $4,241 for promotional items, including joggers and beanies.


•Art Club was allocated $13,634 for its annual Armory trip to New York City.


•SGA was allocated $1,831.98 for a new couch for Club Room 1.


During the SGA meeting on Dec. 5:


•SGA allocated $6,438.72 to The Gatepost for its College Media Association New York City trip.


•BSU received $14,094 for its Philadelphia Overnight Trip.


Senator Amanda Taylor was awarded Senator of the Month. Paradise passed the U-Rock Award to Social Events Coordinator Hailey Small.

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