The Student Government Association (SGA) discussed transparency and expanding the Inter-club Council (ICC) budget at their weekly meeting Feb. 19.
SGA President Myers Mentzer addressed recent concerns about transparency between SGA and the student body. SGA intends to provide more context to the town halls in a move to advocate for transparency and approved two general funding requests: one for a SGA podcast on main campus and another for the ICC budget.
“I know that sometimes the way that people can engage the frustrations maybe are not the most productive,” Mentzer said. “And I think perhaps that could just be a call to action to us to look at what we can be doing to benefit the whole student body.”
SGA addressed the purpose of their town halls. The town halls extended Feb. 11 through Feb. 20, as a way for students to get information from their respective senators. It is an event where students can ask questions and listen to what their senators are doing for them.
Stephen Weinstock, director of the general judicial council, raised concerns that the purpose of town halls might not be clear to students.
“I was thinking that I make a post explaining what town halls are because, as a freshman, I attended them and I didn’t really get a lot of information,” Weinstock said. “So I think making a post about what it is and including incentives can add to the transparency aspect,”
At the end of the meeting, the executive board addressed general funding requests. The general funding requests allow a certain initiative to receive funding from SGA and serve as an in-between for the administration and the student body.
Senator Zayd Salahieh proposed the first request to establish an SGA podcast on main campus to reach the transparency goals.
“It was a great way for us to modernize our communication tactics and have that presence on main,” Salahieh said. “If we’re lacking participation, then I think we can cross that bridge when we get to it.”
The podcast funding request was unanimously approved. The next general funding request was an annual request from the ICC for $10,000 from SGA to fund their activities. Weinstock approved of the request while Sugimoto was against it.
“I would encourage all the voting members here to approve this general fund request,” Weinstock said. “But if we’re looking at reallocation in the future, I think it’s valuable to have discussions about how they spend their money more before we consider those things further.”
SGA would take money from their general fund to contribute to ICC’s general fund and student development fund. While the money comes from SGA, ICC would have full autonomy over the allocation of the funds.
“I support ICC as an organization and all the clubs,” Sugimoto said. “I’ve been a part of many clubs and, I’ve benefited from all of that, but I’m actually against this resolution. We don’t know if the $10,000 is actually gonna be going towards the in the hands of the students who run those clubs.”
SGA voted in a majority to pass the request from ICC, granting their request of $10,000 into the general fund and student development fund for their activities.
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Contact Christy Thien via email: christy.thien@pepperdine.edu or by Instagram: @christy.e.t
