By Matt Thacker
With an annual budget of $600,000, SGA’s influence is broad. The money belongs to the students, yet the majority of them remain uninformed and uninterested. A government’s ability to represent its members relies on constituent participation, and U of L is no exception. Students must become proactive or be left to the mercy of a few. The following topics were discussed at February’s SGA senate meeting:
SGA made its final decision concerning next year’s student season tickets, or so they hope. The senate passed a proposal which states that a ticket campout will be held similarly to last year. Senators revived the ongoing debate over guest tickets but ruled that only one ticket may be purchased per student until all students have the opportunity to purchase single tickets. Students may, however, purchase a ticket for one other student if they show that student’s ID card. Graduate students were given 33 percent of the tickets and will disperse them via lottery.
Senators also vented frustration that the athletic department had overruled their previous proposals. Two representatives from the athletic department who were in attendance, Pete Cautilli and Jason Buckner, said they had acted based on their understanding of the SGA’s proposals.
The athletic department added a proposal which has not yet been voted on by the senate. Their plan would set up a point system to reward students and alumni who attend events and give donations. Accumulation of points would determine priority seating.
“We want to give students more incentive to support other sports,” Buckner said. “It’s not just about football and basketball.”
SGA will also allocate $5,000 towards implementing an experimental program with Yellow Cab. The proposal states that taxi cabs will be available for free student use Thursday through Saturday from 7 p.m. through 4 a.m.
SGA will randomly select 200 students to participate in the program for the remainder of the semester. Yellow cab, whose distance range includes most of Louisville, will monitor student usage and collect data to determine the cost of making the program available to all students permanently.
The following resolutions were also passed:
• SGA will support the Resident Student Association’s request that U of L re-install the recreational area (specifically the picnic area and basketball and volleyball courts near Threlkeld Hall) lost during renovation.
• Each student council may purchase a tailgating pass to athletic events for $50 pending approval from the athletic department.
