BRITTANY YEAROUT
News Assistant
Members of the Student Government Association may be the only students who are not spending money.
At the regular Wednesday night meeting, the E-board asked members to spend more of SGA’s money.
SGA Treasurer senior Robert Romero said SGA has always been in a budget crunch. However, this semester juniors, sophomores and freshmen have only spent $400 collectively.
“Most of them are waiting for one big event, but the semester is coming to an end, so I am encouraging the classes to spend money,” Romero said.
Junior President Brendan Groves said his class will soon be putting its money to good use.
“We haven’t spent money because we just had a T-shirt contest and we just had our design go through,” said Groves.
“So we will be purchasing those T-shirts within the next couple of weeks and be giving them out at events that will be announced.”
SGA adviser Michael Houston specifically informed members not to spend frivolously but to spend wisely and creatively.
“Use the funds that you have been given to benefit the students,” Houston said.
Besides the classes not spending money, only two groups from philanthropy have asked for money, and no one has asked for money from the general fund.
The general fund is for anyone who wants to hold an event for the entire school. For instance, a dorm can ask for money to hold a barbecue as long as it is open to the entire school.
Romero said SGA’s frugality isn’t a bad thing.
“This is a good thing and whatever we don’t spend will rollover to the next semester or it will be left over for reserve, which means that the money will be put wherever it is needed,” Romero said.
Out of all of the fees other universities of Los Angeles, Pepperdine has the lowest with only $45 per semester, and the fee hasn’t risen for six to eight years. Other schools have fees ranging from $60 to $90, according to Houston.
However, senior President Julie Chang said the fee does not need to increase.
“I honestly think we are good with the money right now because the senior class is the only class that is close to meeting their budget,” Chang said.
SGA also miscalculated the budget for their retreat that was held two weeks ago in Frazier Park.
“We roughly had $3,050 but only spent $1,500. We are still waiting on a couple of bills,” Romero said.
The retreat only lasted one night but was well worth it, according to Chang.
“I think the retreat was a really great time for all of us to bond and get to know each other because a lot of us didn’t even know each others’ name,” Chang said.
“We also played some really fun games like Mafia.”
Tonight, along with HCL, SPB and Sodexho, SGA will be putting on a Louisiana dinner from 5:30 to 7:30 for Katrina.
It’s something that Pepperdine has been waiting to make happen for a while, but it kept getting pushed back because of other events that were occurring and a problem with fundraising.
“The university purchased Target gift cards for people who have been evacuated to the Dream Center, and we have been fundraising money to pay that off,” President Leon Dixson said.
Pepperdine’s goal was originally $10,000, and they expect tonight’s event to help them raise $3,046 to reach it.
11-10-2005