A change in toilet paper and an increase in the student activity fee were only a few of the issues raised at last night’s Student Association meeting, which was marked by bizarre bickering. A resolution brought forward by Newing College Representative Matt Landau proposed ‘that the Research and Planning Committee look into what type of toilet paper students would prefer in the residence halls.’ A separate resolution was brought forward by Student Assembly Vice Chair Alex Rosenthal that, if approved by students, would increase the student activity fee by $2.
The student activity fee increase, which was proposed last week, would increase the Student Association Programming Board by about $45,000 a year. The SAPB ‘ formerly known as the University Programming Board ‘ has been accruing debt in recent years, leaving the budget severely depleted.
‘It was a compromise between groups,’ Rosenthal said regarding the increase. ‘Some wanted to raise it as much as $7, there were some who wanted to raise it $4 and there were some who didn’t want to raise it at all.’
The increase in the SAPB budget was seen as a way to gauge the student body’s reaction to activity fee increases. The fee now stands at $84.50, but concert planners have $6 per student at their disposal; the increase would move it to $8.
‘It seems like a pretty fair way to start,’ Rosenthal explained. ‘You don’t really want to bump up the activity fee too much all at once.’
Some SA members believed that it might be more prudent to raise the fee by more than $2, but Rosenthal did not agree.
‘It’s bad for policy to raise it by a higher amount than we need that year,’ he said.
Although concerns were also raised that students would have to worry about gradual tuition increases, the resolution was passed without objection and will now be put to a vote by the student body Feb. 21.
A more unusual resolution was proposed to ascertain the toilet paper preferences of students. Amid giggles and side jokes, Landau answered questions about his resolution.
‘It has been perceived that we don’t talk to students enough,’ Landau said. ‘So I went to the community [Newing] and asked ‘What would you like and what would you want better?’ and they said ‘toilet paper.’
The resolution drew criticism from some SA members, some of whom thought the resolution would lead to a waste of money or was poorly thought out. A heated debate over the resolution eventually required mediation from SA Executive Vice President Dave Belsky.
When asked, ‘Do you fold or crumple?’ Landau’s response was inaudible.