More than $10,000 of funding was approved by the Student Government Association to bring one of the world’s most prominent Indian activists to campus this semester.The funding approval came at the regularly scheduled SGA meeting last Tuesday, in which 15 other BUC fund applications were reviewed and several pieces of legislation received their first reading.

Senator Alexander Munjal played a key role in the funding application to bring Dr. Vandana Shiva, a prominent ecofeminist, to campus. Last summer, Munjal worked on Shiva’s organization’s organic farm in Dehradun, India. The application was filed by the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance, but already her speech has more than seven co-sponsors. The funding approved by SGA, $10,070, is half of Shiva’s average speaking price.

“She’s probably the most prominent Indian activist in the world currently,” Munjal said at the meeting. “She works on issues like environmentalism, women’s rights, philosophy and she’s originally a physicist.”

He added that Shiva is “probably the most powerful speaker I’ve ever seen.”

Several SGA Senators commented on the success of the last event hosted by FMLA, I Heart Female Orgasm, and said they hoped this event would bring the same amount of participation and excitement to ETSU’s campus.

“We are going to try to host some educational events before her speech to let people know some more about Dr. Shiva and the issues she works on in the weeks,” Munjal said. “People should be on the lookout for those events.”

In addition to the funding for Dr. Shiva, FMLA received $1,015.04 to attend a conference in Washington, D.C. Three organizations, the Student Photography Association, the Student Ceramics Association and Phi Delta Chi, did not receive funding. The 12 other organizations to receive BUC funding are as follows:

Adult, Commuter and Transfer services received $1,070 for their annual event, a commuter appreciation day. The funding will purchase items to give away to commuting students.

Alcohol and other Drugs Program received $3,350 for their annual event, Wellapalooza.

Alpha Delta Pi received $3,000 to bring a speaker to campus to give a seminar on Spring Break safety. SGA funded the speaker but not the giveaways or the advertisements Alpha Delta Pi requested.

Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity received $1,075 for a regional conference in Jackson, Miss.

Alpha Sigma Lambda received $882.64 for a showing of Disney’s “The Princess and the Frog.” The money will provide activities for children at the event.

Black Affairs Association received $5,000 to bring a group to perform during Unity Fest.

The Community Service Programs received $2,127.50 for Alternative Spring Break.

Initiative for Clean Energy received $1,685 to raise awareness on the human environmental impacts of mountaintop removal.

Inter-Fraternity Council received $2,500 for a conference, and National Panhellenic Association received $2,778.14.

Philosophy Club received $2,100 to host a philosophy conference.

The Society of Professional Journalists received $800 to host an open discussion and forum on healthcare.

The Student Council for Exceptional Children and Public Health Student Association received $1,000 to bring a speaker to campus and begin a campaign to end the use of forms of the derogatory term “mental retardation.”

Four items of legislation also received their first reading. They include a resolution requesting that the Post Office install a credit and debit card terminal; a resolution requesting Facilities Management install sanitary napkin receptacles in women’s restrooms in Gilbreath Hall; a resolution requesting that Parking Services take action to repaint the parallel parking lines for the parking spaces located in front of Yoakley Hall; and a resolution requesting that Dining Services implement a weekly discount of ten cents per cup on regular and decaffeinated coffee at Java City for students who bring their own mugs.

These resolutions will be up for a vote on their second reading at the next meeting.

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