Marchetti Towers Senator James Meinert stifled a growing
insurrection over spot funding at last night’s meeting of the
Student Government Association by bringing up Jesus.

Meinert gave a quick homily about how Jesus preached to choose
compassion over following rules, and he related that SGA was
“usurping” its power by being too persnickety about the rules.

Besides providing the senators with a guffaw to break the
tension, Meinert impeded a snowballing mutiny over financial
matters.

Two bills were proposed to allocate funding for worthy causes.
Relay for Life and the Physicians Assistants of Saint Louis
University both submitted proposals for spot funding.

The Physicians Assistants asked SGA for $1,505 to cover expenses
needed for various events throughout the year, including a
conference in May that will require $800 alone. The bill was deemed
hostile after Senator Tim Mulhall, School of Social Service
Senator, proposed an amendment to cut the funding to a mere $390.
Commuter Senator Michael Heithaus agreed that spot funding was for
emergencies only, and a conference in May is not an emergency.

“You’re cutting things, it seems, based on time. I feel like
they need this money now,” said College of Arts and Sciences senior
Eric Immel, stating the opinion of the vast majority.

Darren Pais, senator for ISF, countered Mulhall’s calculations,
stating a $15 overestimation. The oversight turned out to be
inconsequential, the clerical error was revised, and the amendment
voted down. The Physicians Assistants got their $1,505 in spot
funding and compassion reigned.

The second controversy of the evening was also a clerical error,
involving Relay for Life of SLU.

Chris Pingel, senator and Relay for Life committee member, spoke
on behalf of the committee. Relay for Life was chartered by SGA a
few weeks ago, and the group was unaware of the constitution which
states that a committee must have been chartered for a full two
months before applying for spot funding. The senators voted on
giving Relay for Life the $102, deciding to re-word the bill and
co-sponsor the committee. Dissenting senators were silenced by
Meinert’s talk on compassion and they alluded to not “arguing with
Jesus” as their motive.

A further topic of discussion at the meeting was about the
future of Room 319 of the BSC. Andrew Chappelle addressed the issue
by asking the senators to brainstorm possible uses for the sizeable
3,000 square foot room. Possibilities are the new home of career
services, a student common area, and a theater or “The Blue Room”
–a student hangout painted Billiken blue with seating and a
pull-down projector screen.

“We’ve been alerted that career services is going to move,”
Chappelle said. “We just wanted you all to have a say in it.”

Another option for the move is the currently empty Clemens Hall
convenience store.

Room 319 isn’t set up for water or ventilation, which rules out
a food court, but the square footage is already more spacious than
the current career services office.

“An office like that could benefit of this space,” said Adam
Meister, SGA president.