DASB Senate finalizes $1.2 million budget

DASB Senate finalized its 2018-19 budget during the March 7 and March 14 DASB Senate meeting.

The budget of $1.2 million was initially postponed on March 7 because chair of marketing, Kamyar Ryan Saii, 19, business administration major, said a student was denied service by the Jean Miller Resource Room and before the senate made a decision, he wanted them to hear what the student had to say. But the student never showed up.

“Students aren’t getting service,” said Saii. “That calls into question the funding.”

Saii later explained that after he along with a few other members of the senate consulted with the Jean Miller Resource Room, they learned that the student was ineligible to receive services due to school policies and Fund 41 was finalized on March 14.

Fund 46 which consists of $115,841.23 for student advocacy was finalized unanimously with no issues.

Chair of Finance, Amanda Le, 21, business major, announced that the budget will soon be presented to the Board of Trustees.

DASB Senate adviser Hyon Chu Yi-Baker proposed using $1,300 from the Senate’s special allocations to fund an inaugural dinner on March 23 to celebrate the senate’s work throughout the year and to welcome new senators.

The catered lunch would serve about 60 people for $15 each, totalling to $900 for food and the rest for certificate frames and decorations.

“The total that I’m requesting is $1,300, and that’s pretty bare minimum,” Yi-Baker said.

Le and Senator Raphael Villagarcia voiced reluctance to spend that much money and suggested a potluck instead.

Yi-Baker responded it would be a violation of food codes, and that the senators deserve a celebration after a year’s worth of unpaid work.

Senator Brandi Sue Madison added that from her experience working with another non-profit that had issues with budgeting, the amount Yi-Baker was requesting was not “going overboard,” and agreed the dinner was an important special occasion for the senators.

The motion was then passed 17-4. A final change was then made to the Athletics Department budget after Athletics Director Kulwant Singh asked that the senate move any unused funds from Fall and Winter sports that have already ended to pay athletics officials such as umpires and referees.

The senate approved adding to the Finance Code that the senate will fund up to $5,000 for student conference trips for no more than $500 per person for public transportation, lodging and food not provided by the conference.

Senators also revised their 2018-2019 budget stipulation No. 16 to put it in line with the student conference travel finance codes.

Previously it was required for programs that used DASB funding for conferences to present to the senate what they learned at the conference within a month from the trip, but now they changed the presentation to any mutually agreed upon time if requested by the senate.

Vice President Ahmad Ali-Ahmad, 19, political science major, announced that election results will be revealed and possible appeals will be made at next week’s meeting.

In other business, student trustee on the Foothill-De Anza Board of Trustees, Elias Kamal, 20, updated the senate on announcements made at the Board of Trustees meeting.

In the coming months, the Foothill-De Anza district will make decisions about plans to cut $10 million from the district budget, Kamal said.

“Though there were no layoffs this year besides vacant positions, there could potentially be reduced salaries or layoffs in the future,” he said. “Undoubtedly, students and the quality of certain programs [and] services will be affected in some capacity.”