THURSDAY
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
BUDGET WOES
MARCH 4, 1999 MOVIE REVIEW
Secretaries underpaid 3
`200 Cigarettes' 12
ANOREXIA
SPORTS
Student tell own story 4
'99 LSC player named....15
AROUND CAMPUS
UCOSA PRAISED
What's going on?
Letter to the editor 19
The Student Voice Since 1903
Student senate votes to cut sports funding By Stacy Brasher
Staffititer
—Student Photo By Chieko Hara
Vocal Visions... The UCO Ebony Gospel Music and Arts Choir sing at the "Visions of the New Millennium" program Saturday at the Constitution Hall in the University Center.
Senators pull surprise no-show as organization funding passes By Stacy Brasher
Stantriter
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116 student senators, only 45 are left to represent a student body of 13,000. Early this academic year, student organizations were forced to elect a senate representative if they wished to receive funding for the 19992000 school year. Now that funding allocations have been passed, senators are disappearing left and right. "Because we did not explicitly state that a senator must be in position year-round in order to receive the funding they were allocated, we can't do very much about it this year," said Senate President Pro Tempore Jarrett Jobe. "But we will have legislation in the works very soon to keep this from happening again next year."
Last semester, the senate adopted an attendance policy, stating that organizations whose senator missed more than ten meetings a year (five per semester) would lose their seat in the senate for the remainder of that school year. Nowhere in the policy does it state that losing a seat after allocations are made would result in that organization losing its 1999-2000 funding. So as the meetings continue, senate attendance is slowly dwindling. Thirty-six senators have not attended even one out of the seven meetings held this semester. Fourteen senators have been present for only one of those seven meetings. All 60 of those senators are over the five absence rule for this semester. This leaves only 46 senators to make the decisions now.
A resolution requesting the athletic department decrease their reliance on university and student activity funding passed the UCO Student Association (UCOSA) Senate Monday. The resolution suggests 14.3 percent be cut per year for the next seven years. This action would eventually lead to funding self-reliance in the year 2007. The legislation suggests the creation of an athletic association that works to gain "non-university, non-Student Activity Fee funding for the general athletics, tickets, events
and operations." The act states that UCO's athletic program is currently funded by $294,282 (23.8 percent) of the 1998-99 Student Activity Funds. It also states athletic scholarships are funded by $186,000 (15%) of the 1998-99 Student Activity Funds. The proposal would not take from the scholarship funding, but suggests the $294,282 be continuously cut over the next seven years, until the athletic department is solely dependent
• See SPORTS FUNDING, Page 2
Student activity funding hits snag By Stacy Brasher
However, Belase announced in other areas." Monday he will push for the "I think it's only fair that Staffilitriter 17 percent, hoping the other we ask for what we need to, tudent Activity Fund two percent will be cut by not just continue as always, allocations were administration in areas other but to let student organizations passed by both the than student organizations. grow and do more," he said. UCO Student Association "The House and (UCOSA) House Senate have and Senate on Feb. done what their He (President constituents 22, but has since hit a glitch. Webb) says wanted, and The allocations student life on this needed, as far as were made on the campus is budgeting — assumption that now, let the UCOSA was important, then let President make receiving 17 percent the hard him show it. of the overall decisions of Student Activity what gets cut," —Derrek Belase Funds. he said. But recently it UCOSA President has been brought to (President the attention of Webb) says UCOSA President Derrek "Everyone else gets 85 student life on this campus is Belase that only 15 percent of percent (of the budget), we're important, then let him show those funds will be given to only asking for a two percent it," he said. UCOSA to allocate. increase," said Belase. "It's always up to the Office This leaves a two percent "I truly think we can afford cut for student organization to look at cutting two percent • See SNAG, Page 2 funding.
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