In an effort to increase funding available to student leaders, the Slippery Rock Student Government Association voted to increase vending prices by five cents Monday night.
The increase, which was proposed by AVI, will begin in July and feed the $79,000 student leadership stipend, also approved Monday, which pays officers of the University Programming Board, SGA, WSRU Radio, SLAB literary magazine and The Rocket, Wendy Leitera, SGA’s business manager, said.
“When you go to a vending machine, a drink that was $1.65 will now be $1.70,” she said. “There hasn’t been an increase in vending prices in two years and these prices will still keep products cheaper than they are at Rocky’s or on retail.”
SGA Vice President of Finance Michael Farah encouraged students to purchase from campus vending machines.
“I know many times I’ve gone to Rocky’s to buy a drink, but when you buy from the vending machines you’re actually supporting student leaders,” he said.
Additionally, SGA approved funding requests for four campus organizations and voted to recognize a new club.
The Western Equestrian Team will use its $2,231.88 to send two members to compete in the Intercollegiate Horse Show, a team representative said.
Previously, both members had placed first within their division, she said.
Club Golf will use its $1,564 to pay semester’s dues and compete in three tournaments within the National Collegiate Golf Association, a club representative said.
“Golf can be a really expensive sport,” he said, indicating that the 12- member team requires membership fees just to practice.
The English Equestrian Team will use its $489 to cover travel expenses they incurred when driving to a competition in upstate New York, a team representative said.
SELF, a club devoted to fashion, plans to pay a speaker $150 to demonstrate makeup and skin care at a fashion event they are hosting on April 27, a club representative said.
Queens, an organization dedicated to the empowerment of African American women, already has over 20 members despite its recent recognition, a club representative said.
“Men are oftentimes noticed more for their achievements than women,” she said. “While we are intended for women, we’d love to have men join and see the other side of the issue.”
Following the Student Success Center controversy, SGA Vice President of Internal Affairs Jenna Temple announced that SRU President Cheryl Norton and Provost Philip Way will host a student meeting on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in room 319 of the Smith Student Center, which will be the third such meeting held since the controversial proposal to move underrepresented student groups from the Center for Student Involvement and Leadership (CSIL) to the University Union once it is renovated and rebranded the “Student Success Center.”
Additionally, Way plans to hold three student meetings at various campus dining locations in coming weeks, a member of the Student Life committee announced.
SGA President Logan Steigerwalt discussed his participation in Harrisburg’s Advocacy Days last week, where he met with state senators and representatives who approved a five percent increase in education spending, the first increase in seven years.
“Harrisburg is a big place,” he said. “I probably got enough cardio for the next month, especially in dress shoes.”
The next SGA meeting will be held on April 25 at 8:45 p.m. in the Smith Student Center theater.
