The July 24 Associated Student Government meeting

Written by: Elizabeth Ballinger
Newly elected officers to BCC’s Associated Student Government met for the first time in their positions as members of this years’s ASG board on Thursday, July 24. Several returning members assumed new roles, such as ASG president Amanda Alva (formerly VP of Finance and Communication), as well as new members sitting for the first time, such as Burke Colquhuon, new Emerging Technology and Entrepeneurial Representative. The agenda of discussed issues included funding a second director for the new LGBTQA (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer and Allies) center, sponsoring the We Care Club’s volunteer trip to New Orleans, and extending funds to cover summer technology fees. Sergei Smirnov, former VP of Equity and Pluralism, represented LGBTQA’s request for permission to fund a second director to the club’s new center. Aimed at providing resources and connections to minorities of sexual and gender orientation, this project will be “The first of it’s kind at a Washington state community college,” said Smirnov. He asked that the board consider the amount of work the project will entail, and the need for paid assistance to fulfill the amount of time required. “We interviewed two candidates”, Smirnov said, “we believe they’re equally qualified.” Colquhuon raised concern over the “unprecedented” nature of allowing two directors to head a club center, other board members asked how decision-making would be carried out with dual leadership. “I agree with this program,” said Maiking Wa, VP of Finance and Communication. “But I think we should give other programs equal opportunities to have two directiors.” A motion to reject the request was passed at 4-2-0. Alva suggested that the LGBT look to recruit volunteers to supplement the center. “I’m not slamming this down,” she said. “I’ll continue to work with you on this,” she told Smirnov. Representing BCC’s We Care Club, advisor Shanika Russel presented the request for $17,156 to seven students, an advisor, and a construction expert to New Orleans to rebuild homes lost to Katrina. We Care went with Hope International and Habitat for Humanity to New Orleans after the Hurricane, and BCC recieved a presidential award for the student’s efforts. The club intends to document their trip on video. “We want to bring it back to motivate more students to see how big the world is, and to get involved in volunteering,” said Russel. The project would exceed the ASG’s general clubs budget of $13,659 by nearly $4,000. Following analysis of the costs and the proposed trip’s activities and benefits, the board motioned to postpone the bill to the August 2 ASG meeting, to allow time for further arrangements to reduce the cost. Suggestions included a student co-pay. The motion passed 6-0-0. Examination of a bill to be presented by UNICEF was postponed to the next ASG meeting, due to the absence of the UNICEF representative. A new clause preventing ASG officers from staffing voting booths during an election was included in the next bill, which consisted of 22 bi-law ammendments. Proposed to fix discrepanices with recent ASG constitutional changes, the bill’s other ammendments focus primarily on title and terminology changes. The bill passed 6-0-0. Colquhuan summed up the next bill, which would extend use of BCC’s technology fees to cover Summer technology costs. The bill passed 6-0-0.