By ABIGAIL SHEARER
Tiger Media Network
During open forum at Thursday’s Student Government Association meeting in the Bickle-Schmidt Sports Complex, the main discussions surrounded the Athletic Bands fee decrease of 67 cents and the proposed Athletics fee increase of $1.66.
Students in the band and senators alike believed the decrease was unfair.
“I believe that a 35% reduction (to Athletic Bands) is absolutely insane,” said Sen. Anthony Arial. “They told us that they can operate on a 10% reduction, and they, when it was voted on (last year), said it was a two-year plan. There are about 100 students between (the) athletic band as well as pep band. What we’re saying to them is that we’re willing to deduct a third of their budget, so we can put it somewhere else that we deem more important. I don’t support that at all.”
Arial is a member of the FHSU band program.
Legislative Affairs Director Grace McCord explained the two-year plan for the band included buying new instruments during the current fiscal year and using next year’s fiscal year funds to purchase a truck. However, a truck from the Motor Pool at FHSU was available to be used, so the truck expense was carried over without being needed.
“The instruments have been purchased. The truck has been provided, and so we think that it is time for the funds to be returned to a more operationally responsible amount,” McCord said.
Sen. Elyssa Rucker said the bands received a 99-cent increase last year and, using the $1 increase over the past five years, made a 22-cent increase each year. She said this money can help with scholarships, so more students can join the bands.
Rucker is also part of the band program.
Sen. Lucina Parson said the Legislative Political Action Committee had a hard time deciding to cut the band budget.
“Talking about the band budget, easily, probably took the longest to decide on because we were trying to keep our costs as low as we physically can for our students,” she said. “We very much respect our band members and the students. So we thought, with the increase that they got last year, that it was fit to deduct some of the funds as they already have the instruments.”
During the voting portion, Bill No. 26.S.132 proposed reducing the Athletic Bands fee by 67 cents per credit hour, bringing the overall fee to $1.25.
Arial moved to amend the bill to reduce the fee by 50 cents rather than 67 cents. It was seconded by Sen. Caden Becker, but failed. During continued discussion, Sen. Dawson Conyers moved to end debate and move straight to a vote. The bill passed unanimously as originally proposed.
A few senators believed Athletics was receiving too much of the overall fee, noting roughly 10 percent of FHSU’s student population is made up of student-athletes — according to a Google search. They noted the proposed increase of $1.66 per student credit hour for students accounted for more than 70% of the increase in all student fees proposed this year.
“After we take out the 10% of athletes of our on-campus population, and they take up 76% of our fees (increase), and I just think this is just a little unfair,” Sen. Daniel Bechle said.
Earlier in the meeting, senators voted to consolidate the 24 cents the Tiger Debs receive through student fees into the Athletics fee. Tiger Debs are still funded at the same level, but it is just included in the overall Athletic fee now since Tiger Debs are housed under Athletics. That made the Athletic fee $12.21.
Bechle said that while Athletics does need an increase, getting the majority of the increase is a large amount, especially after Athletics just got a fully funded $15-million building. The Bickle-Schmidt Sports Complex was funded through private donations and a grant and did not use student fees.
Bechle proposed dropping 30 cents from the increase to make it $1.36. That motion failed. The original motion was then passed by senators, opting for the $1.66 increase.
Since the increase is more than $1, it will need to be approved by a majority of the student population at FHSU. Voting for the Athletics fee will be at the same time as the election for next year’s senators — April 1-2.
If approved by students, the Athletics fee would increase to $13.87 per credit hour. That would equate to approximately $1.39 million for student fees to Athletics per year. Last year, students approved a $2 increase for the Athletics fee.
If the student vote fails, Athletics would be funded at the amount of this fiscal year — $12.21.
Other Old Business items voted on:
- Bill No. 26.S.126 proposed a Sigma Alpha line-item change to move $82.70 from line item Leadership Seminar Registration to line item Leadership Seminar Hotel. The bill passed unanimously.
- Bill No. 26.S. 127 proposed increasing the parking fee by 30 cents per credit hour, bringing the overall fee to $1.82. This increase will help maintain and fix roads on campus. The bill passed unanimously.
- Bill No. 26.S.128 proposed increasing the Tiger Media Network fee by 24 cents per credit hour, bringing the overall fee to $2.80. The bill passed unanimously.
- Bill No. 26.S.129 proposed increasing the Memorial Union fee by 90 cents per credit hour, bringing the overall fee to $6.53. The bill passed unanimously.
- Bill No. 26.S.130 proposed that the Campus Intramurals fee increase 2 cents per credit hour, bringing the overall fee to 98 cents. The bill passed unanimously.
- Bill No. 26.S.131 proposed reducing the Educational Opportunity Fund fee by 12 cents per credit hour, bringing the overall fee to 50 cents. The bill passed unanimously.
- Bill No.26.S.133 proposed keeping student fees the same for the Tiger Fitness Center ($1.13), Public Safety ($0), Student Engagement ($2.01), Civic Engagement (56 cents), Food and Hunger Initiative (39 cents), Health and Wellness ($5.98) and Student Government Association (66 cents). The bill passed unanimously.
- Bill No. 26.S.136 proposed that, in fiscal year 2027, $250,000 be transferred from the Allocations Fund to the Memorial Union Cost Center for a new roof for the building. If at the beginning of fiscal year 2029 the previously moved $250,000 is still in the account, the bill proposes that an additional $250,000 be moved from the Allocations Fund to the Memorial Union Cost Center.
The bill reads as follows:
“The Legislative and Political Action Committee recommends that in the fiscal year of 2027, $250,000 be moved from the Allocations Fund to the Memorial Union Cost Center to be used only for a new roof for the building.
That if at the beginning of fiscal year 2029, the previously moved $250,000 is still in the account, an additional $250,000 be moved into the Memorial Union Cost Center from the Allocations Fund.”
This bill was passed unanimously.
- Bill No.26.S.137 proposed the Agronomy Business Club’s allocated amounts be adjusted to $5,562.50 due to the trip being canceled. This bill was passed unanimously.
- Bill No. 26.S.138 proposed an AIGA line-item change that Kansas City First Fridays be moved to the creation of a new line item, Denver Spring Trip, keeping the same distribution for each respective line item. This would move $1,014.40 in total. The bill was passed unanimously.
All student fees will need to be approved by FHSU President Tisa Mason and the Kansas Board of Regents to take effect.
In New Business, six new bills were up for first reading.
- Bill No.26.S.139 proposes that Saige Kirchhoff be funded $1,000 for an academic trip.
- Bill No.26.S.140 requests a Graduate Association of Students in Psychology (GASP) line item change that moves $750.
- Bill No.26.S.141 proposes that Ernestina Osei be funded $500 for an academic trip.
- Bill No.26.S.142 L3 Live Learn Lead Learning Community, be funded $1,000 for an academic trip.
- Bill No.26.S.143 proposes that the Criminal Justice Club line item change of $158.16 from the line item Region 3 Conference ACJA Hotel, $94.59 from the line item Region 3 Conference ACJA Mileage, and $215.21 from the line item National Conference of ACJA Registration, be moved $476.96 to the line item National Conference of ACJA Hotel.
- Bill No.26.S.144 proposes an AGR line item change that moves $1,954. These bills will be up for a vote next week.
Announcements
- Sign-up projects for the Big Event are live and available here.
- Legislative Coffee will be at 8 a.m. Saturday at Hays Public Library.
- The SGA President and Vice President Debate will be at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday in Cody Commons.
SGA will reconvene at 7 p.m. Thursday.