Inside the Crest

With the full SGA elected last week, Sophomore Senator Tony Huynh ’13 assuming control as Speaker, and the first briefing by Treasurer Will McConaughy ’11, the Senate emerged from this weekend as a fully functioning body for fall 2010.

After passing their first resolution — supporting the renewal of Grille delivery once normal hours are restored — SGA entered familiar legislative territory. Senior Senator Anne Runkel ’11 promised information and a resolution on the OINK program this coming weekend, including a financial report on the program itself.

After touching briefly on the gender-neutral housing initiative, originally introduced last spring, Huynh passed the floor to McConaughy, who provided the Senate with their first sweeping overview of SGA’s budgeting for the coming year.

Runkel, noting that Finance Committee earmarked a broad majority of finances so early in the year, raised her concerns about what would remain for programs later in the year. Citing past years, McConaughy highlighted the respectable financial cushion the SGA enjoys which, though not abundant, nevertheless provides some fiscal contingency.

The existence of these reserves has in the past, and again this year, given rise to some natural questions. Because not all parts of the student activities fee are used each year, the SGA generates a small financial surplus. The Financial Committee pools this surplus into a reserve account. Over time this account has swollen, and it now accounts for over 30 percent of SGA’s finances this academic year. The natural question is if we enjoy a surplus, should the activities fee be lowered? The simple answer is no. These reserves provide flexibility for student organizations and MCAB, while ensuring protection against major unanticipated expenses crippling other operations. Though a small minority of senators may have mused briefly about reducing the student activities fee, it would be irresponsible to run SGA finances without a respectable safety net. Former Treasurer Tom Brush ’10’s financial guidance of 2009-2010 should be encouraged and continued; the student activities fee remains at a reasonable level.

Outside of the financial realm, look in the coming weeks for legislation on transportation and athletics, with the possibility of a review of academic credit distribution. By this point, committees should be adequately staffed and warming up their yearly playbooks. I remain waiting to get a full feel for President Riley O’Rourke ’12’s style of government, and depending on how actively he pushes his Cabinet, will determine to what extent we see an impact of his administration on campus life.