The_Rambler_1991-10-23

              Volume 63, Number 5 SUNY College of Technology at Farmlngdale OCTOBER 23, 1991
An Interview With S.G.A. President,
Walter Hayne
An Interview by Joe Puccio
RAMBLER: what is S.G.A.?
HAYNE: S.G.A. is a student run organization where different
Students compose a senate which addresses various issues
on campus. The Farmingdale Student Government
Association has a senate composed of 16 suidents and have
representatives from each fully funded unit. The
fully funded units are: The Rambler newspaper, cab,
WCTF radio station, the islander, backstage theater,
and inter dormitory council.
RAMBLER: I believe that's Inter-Residential
council now, right?
HAYNE: uh, no it isn't. The president of IDC hasn't
decided to change the name.
RAMBLER: But there was a bit of confusion about
that right?
HAYNE: yes, but it's still IDC.
RAMBLER: Back to the senate then. When does it
meet?
HAYNE: we meet once a week or every other week
depending on how our needs are during the semester.
We talk about the various issues that suidents may
run into on campus.
RAMBLER: Whatare open meetings and when are
they?
HAYNE: open senate meetings are every other Monday at
6 pm in room 111 and are open for all students to attend.
RAMBLER: How does a fully funded unit differ from a
seeded club?
HAYNE: a fully funded unit is an organization which has a
vote in the suident government association and has a ratified
constitution, meaning that before it can be a fully funded unit
it has to be okayed by the dean of the student life program
which is Mike Danials.
RAMBLER: what kind of funding does a seeded club get?
HAYNE: A seeded club receives about 300 dollars of seed
money as opposed to the fully funded units which submit a
budget to be approved by student government That budget
can vary from about ten thousand to over one-hundred-and-forty-
thousand dollars, but the same way a fully funded unit
has a vote in student government, so do the senators,, so in
perspective, a senator is really equal to a fiilly funded unit
because they have one vote.
RAMBLER: Why can't fully funded units have fund
raisers?
HAYNE: The reason for that is basically that a fully funded
unit's whole budget is coming from student government,
from the activity fee and since the seeded clubs only receive
300 dollars of seed money, they don't have a standardized
budget so they depend on such things as fund-raisers to
Photo by Glen Knudsen
obtain funds. Students already pay for the fully funded units
through the mandatory student activity fee, so it's not right
to get more money from them.
RAMBLER: Could they have fund-raisers for things other
than their own club? Could they have a fund raiser for such
things as raising funds to buy lighted campus maps to aid
students on campus, or even just for charity?
HAYNE: A fully funded unit?
RAMBLER: Yes.
HAYNE: No, those funds could not go into the budget of
the fully funded unit. It would go back into student
government of if there was a project it would go into that
project.
RAMBLER: So itcould only be done if a fully funded unit
formally made plans in advance to have the money go into
a specific project not related to the individual club.
HAYNE: Yes, they can fund raise lo'do a project but not to
put funds into their individual budget,
RAMBLER: Where does S.G.A. get their money from?
HAYNE: It comes from the mandatory student activity fee
which is sixty dollars. Based on the amount on incoming
students multiplied by sixty dollars, and that's where the
money originates from. We also get money from
other income like last year's or years ago when
student have to pay financial aid, the money is put
aside and they use that every year to help out with
costs.
RAMBLER: What kind of committees make up the
student government association, the subcommittees
of the senate?
HAYNE: Well there are boards and there are
committees. There's an election leadership board, a
financial affairs board, academic affairs board and a
student affairs board. The committees are: The health
committee, the health and safety committee, the athletic
committee, the constitution revision committee, and
the promotion committee, just to name a few.
RAMBLER: What kinds of functions do they serve?
HAYNE: Well, as an example, the academic affairs
board, the duties of this board is to review and evaluate
existing academic regulations. To propose to the senate,
through the executive board, the appropriate changes
to be made in academic related areas. Also, to serve on
the review board for the disposition of student academic
regencies and to ensure that the existing procedure
outline in the student college catalogue and the student
government association handbook will follow.
RAMBLER: How old are you right now?
HAYNE: 21.
RAMBLER: 21...so, do you feel any more comfortable
with the position having some more years behind you than
the past S.G.A. president?
HAYNE: My experience may help me to do my job with
better understanding, but that's just a positive aspect of
being involved for a longer period of time.
RAMBLER: You know God Janal, right?
HAYNE: yes.
RAMBLER: What was your personal opinion of him.