During Associated Student’s special meeting, fraternity Phi Delta Theta was given $1,000 for their ‘Miss CSUN’ beauty pageant that seeks to raise awareness and funds for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
The annual event, which will include contestants from the six Pan-Hellenic sororities on campus, will be held today at Nordhoff Hall at 7 p.m. and is open to the public. Pre-sale tickets are $7 and $10 at the door. Last year event raised $1,500, which was donated to the ALS Association.
ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Baseball Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig, was also a Phi Delt while he studied at Columbia University.
‘The event helps fund research on the disease and also helps people who have to deal with it,’ said Rayvon Hill, advisor for the Miss CSUN beauty pageant.
The Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing Student Association (BSNSA) also addressed A.S. to make their presence known so that in the near future they can get the additional funding they need for their club so that they won’t have to pay for gloves, nursing gowns and other supplies out of their pockets.
‘What we do is support students in the nursing program,’ said Michele Wargo-Sugleris, treasurer of the club. ‘At the moment we are able to send some of our members to conferences, but we’d like to be able to send all of our members to conferences.’
The organization has been recognized for 10 years and while they currently have four members, it is a club that the 150 students who are in the nursing major can benefit from, said Warg-Sugleris.
Senator Jennie Neilan, who heads University Affairs, reported that so far the prospects of students using Gmail have made no major strides, but they are still attempting to contact other schools who have been using Gmail.
A.S. is working hard to utilize the money that the Campus Quality Fee will collect in order to curb spending on programs that should be covered by the university which they currently aren’t and in the near future free up more funds for clubs and organizations, said senator Conor Lansdale.
‘Tomorrow the Student Fee Advisory Committee will meet and the committee will discuss important programs that should be funded and,’ Lansdale said. ‘We would not have to pay for things like the Matador Patrol and be able to give more money to clubs and students looking to try things they wouldn’t normally be able to do without additional funding.’
Creating scholarships that all students, including international students, would be eligible for is something that A.S. Vice President Nicole Umali has been working on throughout the semester and hopes to accomplish the task during the spring semester.
‘What we’re trying to do is find a way to create scholarships for all students that pay the A.S. fee because it’s only fair since they are contributing to the fund,’ Umali said. ‘If you pay A.S. fees you should be able to get full access and support.’
As part of their philanthropy with non-profit organization Meet Each Need With Dignity (MEND), A.S. has set up several collection boxes throughout their departments like the intramurals office, the Fitness Center and the Student Health Center. They are looking for non-perishable foods, new toys and new blankets.
The items collected will be given out to needy families during the holidays. The campus community can also sponsor a family for the holidays. In fact said Umali The University Corporation will sponsor two families this Christmas.
The last day to donate will be this Thursday and will culminate in the A.S. Donation Drive Recognition at 4 p.m. in the Shoshone Room.
‘MEND is going to be serving 1,200 families this year,’ Umali said. ‘It’s important for the major San Fernando Valley school to be involved in the community.’
For more information on how to help MEND, call (818) 897-2443 or (818) 896-0246.
