The Student Association Senate voted Monday night to increase the SA executive board's stipend by $1,000 next year, bringing their compensation up from $9,000 to $10,000 a year.
SA President Christian Oliver - who only two months ago rescinded a tuition waver he and fellow e-board members Jennifer Brace and Naazli Ahmed had received, following student outcry - said that after a personal conversation he had with the senators, he was led to believe the senate would have increased the stipends by more than $1,000, had it been requested.
However, Oliver said, the incoming e-board requested an increase of only $1,000 because of the current "political climate," such as Gov. George E. Pataki's proposed SUNY tuition increase.
"I think $10,000 is a fair amount," Sen. Gregory Haynes said. "I personally think that's as high as it should go."
According to Anthony Burgio, chairman of the SA Senate and treasurer-elect of SA, the senators probably would have voted in favor of having the e-board's tuition paid for by SA if the incoming officers - himself, president-elect George Pape and vice president-elect Jocelyn Tejeda - had made the request.
"The atmosphere was right to get a tuition waiver passed," Burgio said. "A lot of senators wondered why we didn't have that stipulation."
Burgio said the new e-board did not request payment of their tuition through the Mandatory Student Activity Fee because the officers campaigned on the promise that if they were elected, they would refuse the money.
"I think (the $1,000) is a reasonable increase," said Burgio.
Also at Monday's meeting, four new clubs received official SA recognition.
The Pagan SA, Ballroom Dancing, Global Outreach and the Bah?Ae?' Club had temporary club status this year and received an overwhelming majority of votes from the senators, with the Pagan SA and Ballroom Dancing receiving unanimous approval.
"Most temporary clubs have been recognized this year," said Lorenzo Guzman, the SISH club council coordinator. "They go out there, throw their events and try to raise money. Getting them recognized proves that temporary clubs can be just as good as permanent clubs."
According to the SA Web site, Global Outreach's mission is to help "form communities within UB to travel and help other communities around the country and the world." The club won official recognition with 15 votes and one abstention.
Richard Hou from the Ballroom Dancing club told the senate that his club deserved to be recognized because of the support his club has received from students.
"We feel we are ripe enough to step in," Hou said. "We have achieved a huge amount of work."
In addition to teaching ballroom dancing at area schools and performing at a gala attended by President William R. Greiner, Hou said, his club finished third in February's "Penny Wars," an event organized through SISH as a way for its clubs to raise money by collecting loose change.
While the Bah?Ae?' won official recognition by a 14 to 2 margin, the club's constitution was a topic of debate.
Haynes pointed out that the club's constitution required that for Bah?Ae?' to remain a club, it had to have at least two members of the Bah?Ae?' religion. He said the club's future could be in jeopardy if two Bah?Ae?' did not join the club.
"I don't think it's a good idea to recognize a club with a religious quota," said Haynes.
Sen. Leonard Vishnevsky said he agreed with Haynes.
"The club could have 10 members, but then wouldn't be able to continue just because they don't have two practicing the religion," said Vishnevsky.
Guzman disagreed. "I think a club should have a right to designate to some degree what they should allow their organization to run," he said. "I don't feel it's wrong to state that some people in the organization have to be of the faith in order to sustain itself and keep the integrity."
Photo: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki
