By
Maya Schechter
Arizona Daily Wildcat
New program to keep frosh involved in student
While students are busy buying books and figuring out their schedules during the first week of school, the UA's student leaders have been working to set budgets and establish a new program to encourage freshmen involvement.
The Associated Students meeting, the first of the school year, will be at 6 p.m. in the Memorial Student Union Tucson Room.
The approval of the ASUA budget and Freshmen Active in Campus Events and Services - a program to keep freshman volunteers motivated and active within ASUA - are the main adgenda items.
ASUA Executive Vice President Erick Negri, a finance senior, says he encourages all students to attend tonight's meeting, as well as meetings in the future.
"It really helps when so many students come because we want to do whatever we can to help them," Negri said.
Negri said the Senate will vote tonight on approval of the ASUA budget for the 2000-2001 fiscal year, which will be presented by treasurer Adi Knishinsky.
The Senate will be deciding on how to allocate funds within ASUA, including the staff salaries, the president's cabinet, the executive vice president's branch, and the administrative vice president's board, said Negri.
Negri added that the budget will not be official until the senate approves it.
The plan for Freshmen Active in Campus Events will be presented by Sen. Matt Bailey, and if the Senate approves the organization, they will need to then approve the Freshmen Active in Campus Events executive director.
Another important item on tonight's agenda will be approving Brian Seastone as the ex-officio member of the Senate this year.
Seastone, who is a non-voting staff member and works with the University of Arizona Police Department, has been helping ASUA as a historical resource for the senate since 1990.
"His (Seastone's) experience and personal knowledge of ASUA surpasses all expectations of this position," ASUA president Ben Graff said in a letter to the Senate.
Sen. Robert Schapira will be presenting the special funding request for Phi Alpha Delta, a pre-law fraternity, of $1000 for the 15th anniversary of the UA law fair.
"I think this law to approve the funding will pass, and I am also glad that we are giving more money to student clubs," Schapira said.
Schapira added that he thinks the Freshmen Active in Campus Events program is an excellent idea, so that freshmen will have the chance to learn and grow in every direction of ASUA, and covering all three branches - the executive, legislative and judicial.
