The student media organization of California State University Northridge

Daily Sundial

The student media organization of California State University Northridge

Daily Sundial

The student media organization of California State University Northridge

Daily Sundial

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Matador Nights causes debate at A.S. meeting

At Tuesday’s Associated Students Senate meeting in the University Student Union, representatives were split on a major allocation that will help fund an $11,000 light show – among other activities – at Friday’s Matador Nights event.

The event, which has the stated goal of bringing students together and increasing spirit, was placed as one of President Adam Salgado’s action items in the meeting’s agenda, which is somewhat rare; usually finance requests fall under the authority Director of Finance Adam Haverstock.

The USU requested $10,292 for Friday’s Matador Nights. According to a flyer for the activity, the event will feature a hypnotist, live jazz music, a variety show and a face painter, in addition to the light show.

A recommendation was not made by the finance committee for the request, but Haverstock was able to offer some insight.

“If we were making a recommendation, we would recommend $5,000,” he said.

Sen. Igor Kagan made a suggestion of $5,000, noting that with 10 weeks left to the school year, the Senate should monitor how much money they spend from the Unallocated Reserves Account.

“This is not an academic event,” Kagan said. “There are (probably) academic events coming up for which we will need this money.”

Salgado stressed that allocating money for the event would be keeping with the goals he expressed at the inauguration of new senators this semester. At the inauguration, he placed a focus on collaboration between A.S. and other campus organizations – including the USU.

There was discussion of the amount of money left in the Unallocated Reserves Account. Depending on the types of allocations recommended at each Senate meeting, usually at least $1,000, if not more, is taken from the account each week. Before allocations were made at Tuesday’s meeting, the total in the account was $63,000. Some additional enrollment funds for the spring semester are expected, but General Manager David Crandall said they are unlikely to exceed $30,000, and that the money from that source will not be available until May.

Motions were then made for $6,500 and $7,500. The latter was the amount the Senate ultimately approved.

Another large allocation was made: $9,500 to ASREC Sports for a national conference to be held this April. Other allocations that were made in the meeting were relatively minimal compared to those for Matador Nights and ASREC.

During the meeting, a special presentation was also made by Marieanne Quiroz, coordinator for Student Outreach and Recruitment Services. SORS is hoping to work with A.S. to further Salgado and Vice President Sarah Jackson’s stated goal of improving academic advisement.

Quiroz said that she hopes the collaboration could be ready for students in the next couple of years, but that preparation, including talking with students and department heads, is needed.

In the Open Forum part of the meeting, the ongoing negotiations between the California Faculty Association and the California State University system remained a hot button issue, as some students, including A.S. Director of Political Awareness Dina Cervantes, illustrated.

A.S. is currently working with the California State Student Association to determine a stance on the CFA-CSU issue. All options are being considered, including a stance of neutrality.

“Being neutral is not taking a stand,” Cervantes said. “It’s a yes or no answer, neutral doesn’t mean anything.”

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