Tempers flared and arguments erupted at the last SGA meeting.
Not only were the new officers elected, but the SGA also had its last 606 funding session of the semester.
Three groups were not pulled off the consent calendar to be discussed. These included Alpha Xi Delta which received $400, Mentoring Women in Computer Science which received zero funding and Kappa Omicron Nu which received $600.
The rest of the groups applying for funding were pulled for discussion.
Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia received $595. Sigma Chi Fraternity received $1,500 for a leadership conference.
Alpha Kappa Lambda and the Inter-Fraternity Council were each also applying for funding for leadership conferences. AKL received $800 while IFC received $650.
The Panhellenic Council applied for funding for a Back to School Picnic which would be held the first Thursday of the new school year. The Senate first passed a motion to deem this an exceptional benefit in order to give the event a larger amount than $2,250. The Senate voted to give the event $2,950.
SCUB’s was given $356.24 in order to attend a football conference game at Elon.
The Christian Student Fellowship received $7,000 to hold a back-to-school concert that would feature bands all day with a more well known band, Switchfoot.
The SGA itself was applying for funding for the controversial USA Today Collegiate Readership Program. ETSU would receive 50 copies each of both USA Today and the Johnson City Press on a daily basis for one school year. This would cost the SGA, which is sponsoring the event, $5,285.
The SGA applied to take this out of its super fund, which is an account that the SGA has in order to draw money from for projects. Of the $4 student activity fee that each student pays, $3 goes to the 606 funds while the other dollar goes to the super fund.
While many questioned the use of the super fund to pay for this program, the Senate voted to allocate $5,285 from its super fund by a narrow margin of one vote.
However, one application caused much disruption among the Senate and the executive branch alike.
The Diversity Events Planning Committee, along with Black Affairs, applied for funding for an event which would bring six bands to campus April 23, only one day after the SGA meeting.
It was pointed out that the committee had already been allocated $10,000 to use – $5,000 of this came from University Productions and $5,000 came from Black Affairs. Both of these groups are funded by the Student Activity Allocation Committee.
The Senate was unsure of who was actually requesting the funding, since it apparently was going to the committee, but Black Affairs was on the application. The Office of Multicultural Affairs was also mentioned as a possible candidate.
“We’ve all got to be on the same page as to what this is,” said Vice President Aaron Caton.
The Senate finally decided to give the funding to Laura Terry, Student Affairs director.
“I’m not in favor of this application,” said President Jennifer Berry, “I think you need to go by the rules just like every other organization does.”
One of the main objections to this application was the fact that the Gospel Ensemble was not given funding due to the fact that it was also SAAC funded.
“We’ve got to stay consistent, which we’re not good at all, but we’ve got to at least try,” said Sen. Diana Bowers.
A motion to give the group full funding of $2,014 failed, as did a motion to give the group zero funding.
When Caton declared that the issue only had five minutes remaining before application would be killed, Sen. Lacie Tullock stood to talk and performed a filibuster, which is when a senator talks about any topic so that time of consideration will run out.
It was a move that left many SGA members upset.
“That’s ridiculous,” said Sen. Brian McCormack.
Attorney General and President-elect Jarrod Suits said the issue was dead in the water.
Berry tried to veto the filibuster, but it was not allowed.
Berry called Tullock’s actions disrespectful to both the Senate and those putting on the event. “She took the decision out of the hands of those elected by the student body and made it herself by deliberately running time out,” Berry said.
The new officers and Senators were also sworn into office. Suits then allowed the new Senate to vote on his nominees for cabinet positions for next year.
McCormack was appointed attorney general, Tullock was appointed secretary of state, Bowers was appointed secretary of allocations, James Sheffey was appointed secretary of the interior and Dawn Blackwell was appointed secretary of public relations.
Kobelah Bennah was then appointed chief justice.
Vice President Kayla Griffith was given the opportunity to choose nominees for selections chair, Miranda Lane, and 606 chair, Seth Bartee. Both Lane and Bartee were approved by the Senate.
“This has been a difficult year with many problems ranging from lack of communication to over-emphasis on legalities. I am disappointed we did not accomplish more this year but I feel that I have done my best to serve the students of ETSU,” Caton said.

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