On Thursday October 8, 2009 the Associated Student Government (ASG) met to discuss issues concerning Bellevue College.
The purpose of the ASG is to represent and serve the student body. They meet every week to vote on proposals, funding requests, and so on.
Joseph Root (President), Luis Sanchez (Vice President of Equity and Pluralism), Chapman Chung (Vice President of Finance and Communication), Jean-Claude Kameni (Emerging Technology and Entrepreneurial Rep.), Carolyn Dewitt (Environmental and Social Responsibility Rep.), Andres Munt (Clubs and Programs Rep.), and Bernard Ellouk, (Chief Justice) were all present along with the representatives of different clubs.
The first order of business concerned a request from the Black Student Union (BSU) for funding for a trip to go to a conference. The ASG voted unanimously in favor of the proposal.
The ASG then heard a proposal from the Sakura Club to approve funding for a party. The purpose of the party is help BC students and members who are interested in the Japanese culture come together. ASG allocated $260.90 for the party, which will be held in the cafeteria. The Sakura club will provide their own food to cut back on spending. All members of the BC community are invited to the event.
Following the Sakura Club was the Model United Nations club. The Model UN wants to go to Latin America in early January. They requested $5117.00 from the ASG for the trip. After debate, the ASG members decided to amend the requested amount to $4,117.00. The ASG again voted unanimously to fund the amended amount for the trip. Munt suggested to the Model UN to try and fundraise for the trip. The Model UN has taken trips to New York and China.
Next on the agenda was the Latino Community Fund Summit 2009. They requested funding for a lunch. The Latino Community is expecting 150 people to come to the event, 75 students and 75 professionals, and will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The purpose of the lunch is to promote bonding between leaders in the Latin Community and schools across the state.
The menu for the lunch will include rice with silantro and lime, marinated shredded chicken, refried beans, flour tortillas, along with other Latin American food. The ASG voted to grant $352.50 for the event.
The Debate Team was also present at the meeting. Bellevue College is the only two-year school in Washington with a debate squad. It is the first time in 20 years that BC has a debate squad. The team received speaker awards during their first tournament.
The Debate Team plans to compete in Longview, Washington on the 21st. The squad wants to take 10 members to the competition. They also plan on hosting a bake sale to fundraise. They requested funding for a van for 15 people, judging fees, and gas money for the trip. The Debate Team had originally asked for $301.00 but after discussion, the ASG voted to grant the Debate Team $376.00 for additional spending.
Finally, to end the meeting, the ASG and Faisal Jaswal, the Assistant Dean of Student Programs, discussed BC’s accreditation and how they felt about it.
The meeting adjourned at 5:30 p.m. after an hour of lively debate.