Spring Break
Senate finance chair wipes $50,000 SEC debt over summer
Christopher Barrett
Issue date: 9/15/05 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
09/15/05 - Without debate and without a vote, the University of Rhode Island Student Senate Finance Chairman unilaterally excused an approximately $50,000 Student Entertainment Committee debt.
During the summer, David Mack, the finance chairman, took money that student groups did not use during last year and used it to clear a debt incurred by the SEC over the 2004-05 school year.
SEC President Leigh Persico said SEC had not asked senate to excuse the debt and anticipated having $50,000 less this year.
"We did not ask for out debt to be wiped away," she said. "We didn't ever ask for it."
Mack said he made the decision based on the impact of SEC.
"Having less money this year would only have a negative effect on the student body simply because SEC would not have a full budget," Mack said. "I don't feel the SEC would be able to bring the same level of entertainment [with a lower budget]."
Last year, the SEC budget was $242,147, the largest student group budget. The budget represented 34.7 percent of the money brought in through the Student Activities Tax collected by the senate.
Mack said the SEC should not be "punished" for mistakes of past leaders.
"The money was lost not due to poor planning on SEC's part, just due to a misunderstanding in terms and in the event," he said, referring to the debt incurred after the Saturday Night Live show last spring. "It was well advertised, it was well put together. The only problem that couldn't be foreseen was a lack of student interest."
Mack consulted senate president Patrick Mills but not summer senate or the full senate.
"Dave honestly discussed what we were going to do about the debt and I trusted his opinion and said that's fine," Mills said.
Mills called a vote unnecessary because the plan had the approval of the president and finance chairman.
"There wasn't really any need for a vote," he said.
Mills added that because the summer senate did not vote on the issue, the full senate would not discuss or vote on the debt elimination. Normally, the full senate must approve actions taken by the summer senate in the fall.
"Towards the end of the year we try and zero out our budget and make everything as cheap as possible," Persico said.
The May show was one of the last SEC events of the year. She said SEC hoped to recoup the SNL's show's costs and end with a balance of zero but an unexpectedly low turnout pushed the organization into the red.
"Unfortunately it didn't go as well as we planned but there was nothing we could have done to prevent it," Persico said. "We had statistics showing that at every other school it had been to it had always sold out or almost sold out."
In addition, Persico said the SEC advertised on NBC, held live radio interviews and advertised in local newspapers.
Even after the loss Persico said the SEC has no plans to change.
"We're going to keep operating the way we did last year," she said. "We did everything we could and we will continue to do that."
During the summer, David Mack, the finance chairman, took money that student groups did not use during last year and used it to clear a debt incurred by the SEC over the 2004-05 school year.
SEC President Leigh Persico said SEC had not asked senate to excuse the debt and anticipated having $50,000 less this year.
"We did not ask for out debt to be wiped away," she said. "We didn't ever ask for it."
Mack said he made the decision based on the impact of SEC.
"Having less money this year would only have a negative effect on the student body simply because SEC would not have a full budget," Mack said. "I don't feel the SEC would be able to bring the same level of entertainment [with a lower budget]."
Last year, the SEC budget was $242,147, the largest student group budget. The budget represented 34.7 percent of the money brought in through the Student Activities Tax collected by the senate.
Mack said the SEC should not be "punished" for mistakes of past leaders.
"The money was lost not due to poor planning on SEC's part, just due to a misunderstanding in terms and in the event," he said, referring to the debt incurred after the Saturday Night Live show last spring. "It was well advertised, it was well put together. The only problem that couldn't be foreseen was a lack of student interest."
Mack consulted senate president Patrick Mills but not summer senate or the full senate.
"Dave honestly discussed what we were going to do about the debt and I trusted his opinion and said that's fine," Mills said.
Mills called a vote unnecessary because the plan had the approval of the president and finance chairman.
"There wasn't really any need for a vote," he said.
Mills added that because the summer senate did not vote on the issue, the full senate would not discuss or vote on the debt elimination. Normally, the full senate must approve actions taken by the summer senate in the fall.
"Towards the end of the year we try and zero out our budget and make everything as cheap as possible," Persico said.
The May show was one of the last SEC events of the year. She said SEC hoped to recoup the SNL's show's costs and end with a balance of zero but an unexpectedly low turnout pushed the organization into the red.
"Unfortunately it didn't go as well as we planned but there was nothing we could have done to prevent it," Persico said. "We had statistics showing that at every other school it had been to it had always sold out or almost sold out."
In addition, Persico said the SEC advertised on NBC, held live radio interviews and advertised in local newspapers.
Even after the loss Persico said the SEC has no plans to change.
"We're going to keep operating the way we did last year," she said. "We did everything we could and we will continue to do that."
