By Julia Ross-McGuire | October 17, 2022
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
After much debate, the Senate passed a nearly $8,000 dollar appropriations bill last Wednesday night.
Appropriations bills regulate funds to student groups.
The bill was sponsored by the Appropriations Chair, Senator Jalen Rose, and requested for by the sorority Chi Upsilon Sigma.
The sorority hoped to receive the funds to host a 10th anniversary banquet for their chapter.
The Senators debated over the large sum requested by the sorority, with a majority eventually voting yes.
The majority decision was aided by clarification given by the Comptroller, Kevon Burke, who said that the funds would be coming from a specific budget line intended solely for UAlbany recognized fraternities and sororities. He further said that the line was historically underutilized and that large sums of money had been left in the line both in the 2021-2022 and 2020-2021 academic years.
Other concerns about high catering costs were resolved with explanation from the Chair, Naishaly Velez Galan, who said that events hosted in the campus center are required to be catered by Sodexo. Per the company’s website “Sodexo provides catering, facilities management, employee benefits and personal home services to 100 million consumers daily in 56 countries.” Velez Galan also said that the sorority’s requested amount of $4,000 was the minimum amount that they could pay Sodexo to receive sufficient food for their event.