Student Senate Meeting Draws Confusion from Clubs, Senators

By Brandon T. Bisceglia
Co-Editor in Chief

October 15, 2008 – Wednesday’s meeting of the Student Senate began spiraling into a cacophony of confusion and consternation during discussions of two items regarding student trips.

The difficulties began when Student Life Coordinator Shanté Hanks introduced a set of new guidelines for bus trips to all present, explaining that increases in fuel prices and questions from club advisors had prompted the revised policy.

The guidelines set prices for students based on average ticket prices and bus fares, with a 25-30% discount per student subsidized by club funds. If, for instance, a ticket for a show or event costs $50.00 and the average 53-seat bus to New York costs $23.00, the total cost is $83.00. Under the plan, the club would pay the $23.00, and the student would pay out-of-pocket the $50.00 for the ticket.

“I wanted to bring this to your attention,” said Hanks, “so that you didn’t think that some higher authority sits somewhere and makes these decisions and isn’t aware of your expenses and thinking of you.”

But some students were not satisfied, including Chemistry club representative Kyle Durkota, who was visibly perturbed by the guidelines, asking how the rules were to be implemented in various situations that the chart did not appear to address. He also wondered aloud why the clubs could not make their own decisions regarding mode and cost of transportation, thereby retaining greater control over their allotted funds. He pointed out that if a club wished to use its entire pool of funds to completely subsidize a trip, it should be able to.

“Why shouldn’t clubs be able to use their money to make things as cheap as they can?” he asked. “We go to a community college. I don’t have a lot of money – maybe some people here do, but most don’t.”

Hanks rebuffed the remarks, saying that her policy was not meant to stifle the autonomy of the clubs – only to offer them a clearer idea of prices. She suggested that local trips with small groups could make use of the HCC’s two vans, which would significantly cut the cost of transportation.

The Senate pressed on despite the dispute, but hit another snag when the topic of the annual Senate-sponsored trip to Italy arose. This time, it was Senator Kaitlyn Shake who expressed doubts. After Hanks explained that the trip had to be held during winter session classes (instead of the traditional spring break) because of Holy Week, Shake pointed out that this in effect excluded any students who were taking winter courses.

Shake and several others then began questioning how the decision to go to Italy even arose. Because the Senate was subsidizing up to $8,000 for the trip, she believed that the choice of destination ought also to rest in the hands of the senators. When Hanks replied that she was responsible for making the choice in concert with the travel agency and with approval from administration, Shake grew perplexed.

“So the discount’s coming out of students,” she asked, “but we don’t actually have a voice as to where we’re going to go?”

Hanks remained unperturbed. “You do have a voice… I tried like a million other places… and they’re all about the same price. But Italy is the one that so many students wanted to go to.”

When asked how the desire of those alleged students is determined, Hanks replied that they come to her personally. “(They say) ‘We’d like to go here,’ or ‘We’d like to go there,’ and they make the suggestions.”

The issue did not end there, though. Shake brought up the Senate meeting from May when possible destinations for the trip had been discussed. “I recall other alternatives we collectively agreed on,” she said. Peru, Puerto Rico, Mexico and Egypt were all mentioned, “but nobody said anything about Italy. I remember because I seconded the motion.”

Hanks maintained that Italy had been talked about at the meeting in question, and the two proceeded to quarrel over whether Shake’s recollection was accurate until President Jackielyn Hudson interjected, ending the debate because of time.

Hudson concluded by saying that Hanks’ office was open anytime for questions or concerns from students.