Senate approves funding for research fair

Kristy Mangos Arizona Daily Wildcat Carrie Dorow, Student Showcase director, asks the Associated Students Senate yesterday for funding for the annual research fair. ASUA approved Dorow's request of $500 for the event.

Although the senators approved $500 for Showcase, coordinators are still about $16,000 short of the total estimated cost for the event, said Showcase Director Kari Dorow, a sociology junior.

Dorow said the total budget for Showcase, which is organized by the Graduate and Professional Student Council, is $43,000.

Despite the shortfall, Dorow said she is confident the funding will come through. She said she hadn't counted outstanding pledges and will wait until the money is received before it's added to the total.

"It's almost guaranteed that we will come up with the money," she said.

Costs for the event include tents, tables and chairs rental, display boards, power, water, phone and Internet hookups, as well as a $45 stipend for each exhibitor.

Previously, ASUA has contributed up to $5,000 for the event, as they did in 1994.

Last year ASUA didn't contribute any funds, which may have been attributed to tensions arising from the split between the two groups, Dorow said.

"I only asked for $500 this year because I wanted to get good standing with them," she said.

This year, Dorow said there were a total of 120 entries for the event - up 40 entries from last year. She said over half of the exhibits are undergraduate projects.

The event is held Friday and Saturday of Homecoming weekend, Nov. 7-8.

In other matters, the Senate:

Unanimously approved the appointment of UA law student Kevin Meyer, third year law student, to the ASUA Supreme Court. The Supreme Court consists of five members, appointed by the ASUA President.

In an effort to avoid a rules suspension, the Senate approved $90.75 for funding after yesterday's Campus Safety Day. Sen. Rosanna Savone said she was unable to get the item on the agenda and asked Executive Vice President Casey Cuny to use his discretionary funds to pay for the event. The Senate unanimously approved the allocation to reimburse Cuny for the cost.

Cuny said the reimbursement was a one-time action due to miscommunication. Had the Senate decided not to approve the measure, he would have shouldered the cost from his own account.