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Doritos, Lays, Famous_x000D_
Amos, Contraceptives, hmm…
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This week, the ASPC Senate discussed the possibility of_x000D_
installing a Plan B vending machine on campus; an idea met with skepticism from_x000D_
some and a little too much enthusiasm from others. While Plan B vending_x000D_
machines are not commonplace, some college campuses have installed them as an_x000D_
alternative to making students visit health service centers or local pharmacies_x000D_
to get emergency contraceptives. Some issues that arose were the potential cost_x000D_
to the ASPC and where the vending machine would be placed. While senators_x000D_
argued over whether it should be closer to North or South Campus, everyone_x000D_
agreed that the closer it ends up to wherever you eat Sunday brunch, the_x000D_
better.
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If You Give a College_x000D_
Student a Donut
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Before the meeting began, senators hosted a “comments for_x000D_
donuts” forum. Students could submit a comment about issues on campus that they_x000D_
wished the Senate would address, and in exchange they received, you guessed it,_x000D_
Plan B. The “donuts for comments” session was also reflective of the Board of_x000D_
Trustees’ recent interest in receiving input from students, as relayed to the_x000D_
Senate by President Sarah Appelbaum. Apparently, the handful of student_x000D_
representatives* that the Board of Trustees interacts with now_x000D_
doesn’t provide the Trustees with an accurate image of what all students care_x000D_
about, an issue that the Senate might try to address by surveying the student_x000D_
body in the near future. While there are many things the Board hopes to find_x000D_
out, the first question is whether or not there are actually students attending_x000D_
Pomona College who have seen and can prove that the Trustees are real people,_x000D_
not mischievous little elves that disappear whenever you mention the word_x000D_
“unionization.”
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*One student representative
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Stipends for Senators
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Next up, senators discussed potentially extending stipends_x000D_
for positions on Senate besides the President and Vice Presidents. The argument_x000D_
in favor of more stipends was that being on Senate takes up time that senators_x000D_
could use for other jobs. On the other hand, some senators argued that_x000D_
incentivizing senate positions with stipends would encourage people to run for_x000D_
Senate who were not passionate or dedicated at the level it takes to find Senate_x000D_
meetings bearable. The issue was tabled for another time so that the senators_x000D_
could take a while to consider whether or not to give themselves money.*
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*Not too unreasonable. I mean hell, even I get_x000D_
paid to go to these meetings.
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You Want the Budget??_x000D_
You Can’t Handle the Budget!!
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At the end of what might go down as the most painful application_x000D_
of Einstein’s theory of relativity (AKA this week’s meeting), the Senate_x000D_
decided to vote on publishing their budget on their website. In the past, ASPC_x000D_
budgets have been private, with the exception of last year when they put some_x000D_
nice little pie charts on the ASPC website.* Ultimately, the Senate_x000D_
voted to publish a full line-item budget online, rather than a limited budget_x000D_
that made specific information only available upon request. The reason for the_x000D_
proposal of the “limited-transparency” budget was some senators’ concern for_x000D_
students who read through the entire ASPC budget, including ASPC funding for_x000D_
clubs, getting upset when they discover that some clubs receive more funding_x000D_
than others. Junior Class President Tom Conkling argued in favor of total_x000D_
transparency because according to him, “Outrage would be better than apathy,”_x000D_
which did not go over well with most senators who prefer complete isolation_x000D_
from their constituents.
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*uglykittenpics.aspc.tmblr.com