ASUA senators approve Tucson Youth Committee

ASUA senators approved a community service project last night that will pair up UA student mentors with Tucson high school students.

The Tucson Youth Committee, a program that will send UA students to mentor select high school students and assist them in creating community service projects, will begin next semester.

Each mentor will represent a team of five representatives from each high school in Tucson, said Joseph Fu, an Associated Students of the University of Arizona senator.

Fu said any UA student can apply, and each mentor will guide the high school representatives in identifying problems in their schools and surrounding communities. Together, they will come up with solutions and organize plans to solve problems, Fu said.

Applications for mentors are due Nov. 23, and ASUA members will interview applicants the following week, said Pita Salido, an ASUA senator. Interested students can pick up an application in the ASUA offices on the third floor of the Student Union Memorial Center.

At last week's ASUA Senate meeting, Fu said many UA students have already expressed interest in becoming mentors.

Funding for the program will come from the city and from local corporations, Fu said.

He said money from the City of Tucson will go toward supplies and motivational speakers.

"The University of Arizona student body has a responsibility to the City of Tucson. Youth in Tucson have not had any programs to foster leadership and collaborate with other Tucson student leaders," the official contract to the City of Tucson stated.

Senators attend conference on union operations

Two members of the ASUA Senate attended an Association of College Unions International conference in Durango, Colo., to learn how to make the student union operate to its fullest.

Nathan Bell, an ASUA senator, said after attending the conference with Sara Birnbaum, ASUA executive vice president, he wants to work to increase late night student activities at the student union.

Bell said Northern Arizona University's student union is an example of a well-run union that offers many organized late night activities.

Donation received to help with proposed Cats RIDDE

In weekly senator reports, senators announced a donation for the proposed Cats RIDDE service.

Cats RIDDE, a service that would drive intoxicated students home on weekends, is still in the works and recently received $5,000 from the Finley Distribution Co., a beer distributing company in Tucson, to start up the program, said Ashley Eden, an ASUA senator.

Erin Hertzog, an ASUA senator who has been working closely with Jason Cobb, the founder of Cats RIDDE, said the $5,000 is for beginning the service, and said Finley Distribution Co. will donate more money if the program continues.

Budget cuts and registration

Senators also discussed class registration and course availability problems and ways to solve them.

Bell suggested an academic committee to address problems with limited class availability and budget cuts that have made it difficult for students to register for classes.

"I think this will be the forefront of controversy for the next year," he said.

Club funding update

Senators also approved $1,944.46 to give to clubs that requested initial and special funding this week.