Tonight’s meeting topic that got the UPUA all hot and bothered was Policy 17, which allocated money for this year’s Spring Festival.

As we all know, last year’s spring festival, Wallypalooza, featured-as President Gavin Keirans so eloquently put it – “one-hit-wonder suspect artist” Asher Roth, whose career has since skyrocketed straight into a ceiling fan. So this year they want to do something better. In very first-stage budgetary discussions, the UPUA has recommended to allocate $19,931.86 towards the Spring Festival 2010 account.

But tensions arose when Director of Legal Affairs Matt Lachman spoke up on behalf of his organization on the $2,000 allocated from the Legal Affairs’ budget. And so it went into debate. And, then of course, another debate. Keirans spoke up for passing the policy saying that the festival was “a great way to end classes.” He also pointed out that a lot of other major universities, including Ohio State, hold similar festivals at the end of the year. The president also said that there would be plans made to reimburse organizations. And as I understand it, the rest of the money would be coming from UPAC.

The policy finally passed but this is still one of the first stages in the planning process.

President’s Announcements:

• Thanks to the AAC Chairman Sam Loehner, who worked in the last year to include more student oversight regarding the IT fee.
• The legal services office is in its final planning stages and an announcement will be made within the next few weeks.
• The UPUA elections will begin Monday for freshman-junior students.
• Executive board meeting yielded successful results and a reminder that senior members will be taking more responsibility as the year comes to a close to keep the UPUA on track.

Assistant VP for Student Affairs Andrea Dowhower Special Presentation:

• A student transitional steering team is underway. The team, Link Up, would be responsible for assisting transfer students, Commonwealth students transfer students and  incoming freshman in their transition to Main Campus, beginning April 10.

The UPUA will not be meeting for the next two weeks, one reason being SPRING BREAK! But when they return, it will be election season and they will have only a few weeks left before the assembly says their goodbyes forever, or until next semester.

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