AS reimburses club for year-old event

Committee decision to grant Sikh Student Association $1,000 survives 7-senator rejection

By Laban Pelz
The Collegian

The Associated Students Senate granted Fresno State’s Student Sikh Association $1,000 after an attempt to reverse a committee approval failed to reach a two-thirds majority Thursday night.

The issue stemmed back to a Sikh Association event held November 2004 that, through miscommunication and late paper work, the club was never reimbursed for, AS members said. Held in the University Student Union, “Punjab Night” cost the club $1,140.

The AS Finance Committee in a Nov. 3 meeting approved $1,000 for the Sikh Association and recommended the Senate pay the remaining $140. But some senators went on the offensive Thursday, denying the club the $140 in a 7-3-2 vote and narrowly granting the $1,000 after a move to bar that payment failed.

Seven senators voted against the $1,000 payment, but the six that supported it were enough to keep the opposition from reaching a two-thirds majority. Because the motion failed, Executive Vice President Juan Pablo Moncayo ruled the Finance Committee’s approval valid.

Several AS members expressed concern too many standards were not being met for the Sikh Association to receive its money.

Vice President of Finances Esmeralda Santos said she had never seen a receipt between the club and the USU, which Moncayo said in his opinion was needed for reimbursement.

Business Senator and finance committee member Brent Hansen said the issue should by rule have been moot 45 days after the event. He also said club members had told the finance committee they would send a representative to Thursday’s meeting.

No one from the club was present.

“We’re trying to help them and they’re not here,” Hansen said. “I feel like they just expect us to pay them. If they can’t even come here to answer… come on.”

Agricultural Science Senator Kelly Ansaldo, who led all motions to bar the refunding, said the repayment opens the door for other clubs to seek similar awards.

Hansen agreed: “We need to look at this as retroactive funding. AS doesn’t do that. It opens the floodgates for trouble.”

The opposition also had concerns.

Health and Human Services Senator Luis Baez said the Sikh Association might have represented itself at the meeting if members knew the full amount of $1,140 was in jeopardy.

Santos said she told the club the Senate has the authority to revoke the full amount, which brought up another issue:

“Why should we bother voting if it’s just going to get revoked by the Senate?” asked Parking and Safety Senator Rocio Carbajal, who is on the finance committee.

Moncayo said the system is in place because of its efficiency, and reminded all that the Senate has the final authority, not the committees.

Hansen said the committees exist to have checks and balances.

“This is the first time in my three years of being on the AS of this sort of thing happening,” he said. “In this instance it’s a good opportunity for us to use it.”

Baez said “Whatever they propose, I want to trust that.”

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