‘We just approved a $2 million check’

MAKENZIE HUBER News Editor

SA approves allocations for Student Union, Wellness Center

The Students’ Association allocated more than $2 million to the Student Union and the Wellness Center Monday, Feb. 22.

“We just approved a $2 million check,” said vice president Matt Dahle after the allocations were voted on. Not many people can do that, he said.

The money allocated to the Student Union for the next fiscal year, $1,107,949, will cover what the facility needs to run, including staff payment, projects and renovations.

Jennifer Novotny, director of Student Activities, said they are “looking to be very moderate over the next year for any major repairs.”

Last year a large amount was requested to cover projects around the building, including a major project to replace the then 20-year-old Union roof.

The Senate allocated $898,797 to the Wellness Center for the next fiscal year.

Both buildings are part of the tier one group for SA budget allocations. The allocations to this group are some of the most important decisions made by SA, according to some senators.

“You could replace the word ‘tier’ with ‘priority,’” Sen. Nick Lorang said.

In other business, SA passed two ordinances creating a Students’ Association Adviser of the Year award, 15-03-O, and Graduate Teaching Assistant of the Year award, 15-04-O.

Amendment 15-07-A, which ensures each candidate running for Students’ Association has a professional stock photo used for the election. The measure intends to create consistency between how candidates are represented.

The Sri Lanka Student Association and Honors Hall Government constitutions were approved as well.

The Senate had its first reading of 15-18-R: Students’ Association Request for an Adequate Easter Break. The resolution supports an extended holiday break

In Committee Reports, Dahle informed senators about how the South Dakota Board of Regents is look at ending Minnesota-South Dakota reciprocity as well as a request from the University of South Dakota for students from Iowa to pay in-state rates.

Adviser Doug Wermedal informed students about a $25,000 pilot program grant SDSU is trying to receive. The pilot program would track students’ activity and social norms relative to exercise and calorie consumption. The program would use tracking devices similar to Fitbits.

“If we get the grant and the pilot goes well, the place where we issued cowbells at the beginning of last year to students, we’d be issuing those tracker devices to everybody,” Wermedal said.

Wermedal said the university should hear back about the grant within 60 days.

The next SA meeting will be Monday, Feb. 29 at 7 p.m. in the Lewis and Clark room in The Union.