At last night’s SGA meeting, the senate tabled an eleventh-hour
bill regarding Facilities Services new policy of charging student
organizations $70 to hang advertising banners off the exterior of
the Busch Student Center.

The bill, presented by First Year Senator Lucie Swain, stated
that students already pay union fees for use of the BSC and no
student input was involved in the adoption of the policy.

Senator Chris Pingel inquired as to whether Facilities Services
had been contacted and President Meister responded that he had only
found out about the charge as of Tuesday, and planned on bringing
it to Facilities Services attention today.

Meister said that hanging banners was a inconvenience for
Facilities Services and he thought that the charge was for the
labor-intensive chore.

Phil Lyons jumped in, saying that the $70 was indeed a labor
charge, and that requests for the service have escalated, thus the
imposition of the charge.

“What I fear is that if you refuse to pay the fee, Facilities
Services may not put them up at all,” said Lyons.

Arts and Sciences Senator James Meinert suggested that students
hang the banners to eliminate the problem.

Senator Zapf recommended tabling the bill, and it was done.

Arts and Sciences Senator Will Dreiling sponsored a bill to
request that the Office of the Registrar be open for student use at
7 a.m. on the dreaded “WebSTAR days” of registration.

Dreiling believes that since registration begins at 7 a.m. and
the Registrar’s office doesn’t open until 8:30, so there is no
resource for students to turn to when the system backfires.

Vice President Jessica Cusick cleared up confusion over the
bill, that it was a simple request of the Office of the Registrar
and not a demand. The senators determined to pass the bill.

Black Student Alliance Senator Charles Flint and Arts and
Sciences Senator Cari Johns proposed a bill to designate two 20
minute parking spots and a permanent handicapped parking spot in
the loading area behind the Busch Student Center.

Cusick asked if people can actually get ticketed and towed for
parking in the loading area, and Meister’s riposte was that he
himself had experienced it first hand.

“Numerous people have been ticketed and towed there, faculty
included in that number,” said Johns.

The senate passed the bill after a brief debate.

The meeting ended with the announcement of a meet-and-greet at
Wackadoo’s starting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 17.