The meeting, which less than half of Congress members attended, opened with a push for all Student Congress members to participate in this weekend's Finance Committee workshop, in which Congress members will discuss the budget for the fall semester.
Student Body Treasurer Patrick Frye said Student Congress has a $13,000 budget surplus heading into the finance committee weekend. Frye also cautioned Congress members of the fact that not all campus groups can be supported financially by student fees.
"There are a lot of good programs on campus," he said. "(Student Congress) cannot fund them all. It is important for us to pick and choose our battles carefully. Wisdom comes when you find the group you want to fight for."
Congress members moved to hear a plea by representatives from the Conference on Race, Class, Gender and Ethnicity. The group received funding from Student Congress last year and came Tuesday night to request a $900 funding increase The additional money would be used to cover the costs of keynote speakers for the conference.
Some Congress members noted that the lack of additional funding for the conference would not preclude the event.
But other representatives argued that the conference is offering something that the whole campus could benefit from -- a greater exposure to issues surrounding race, class, gender and ethnicity.
After a lengthy debate, Student Congress members voted not to reconsider the Finance Committee's decision to deny an increase of funds for the conference.
Congress members also unanimously approved sophomore Brad Newcomb for the post of student attorney general. "My greatest value is my dedication to the system," Newcomb said. "This is what I enjoy doing, and it is where I make my impact."
As Student Congress members questioned Newcomb about recent attacks on the judicial process, he issued a pledge to make the system more accessible to students. "It's time we stopped being a secret society," he said. "It is important that we make the system more approachable while still maintaining the integrity of the system."
