By Ona Golonka
The ASUP senate has narrowed the list of Capital Improvements Fund items in contention for almost $20,000 in upgrades.
In a vote Monday, senators eliminated five possibilities from the list of 10.
Still in contention: improvements for the Villa Drum Squad, the soon-to-be established Haggerty Lounge café, library study areas and residence halls, as well as funding an artificial Christmas tree to replace the live tree purchased each year.
Out: funding The Cove sidewalk project, a campus fountain, a new gazebo, more bike racks and new stage pieces for University events.
Now, it's up to the ASUP Executive Board to decide how to allocate $19,500 in capital improvement funding toward all or some of the five items.
The Executive Board will inform the senate on Monday what items it decided to fund.
The Capital Improvements Fund was formed in 2005 to allocate funding for tangible campus improvement projects.
The money comes from a portion of the student government fee that all UP students pay each semester.
Previous projects that have been funded by the ASUP Capital Improvements Fund are the patio outside the Pilot House, new couches in the St. Mary's Student Center and the renovation of the basketball court behind the Villa Maria dorm.
Funding the Villa Drum Squad was a popular initiative among senators.
Villa would receive funding to finance new drums, drumsticks and kilts.
Even though the funding would be allocated to one dorm (Villa Maria), the initiative would benefit everyone, said Senator Greg Machado, senior.
According to Machado, the Villa Drum Squad would also advance campus unity.
"I think it'd be more important to foster something to bring the campus together, like the Villa Drum Squad," said Senator Tiger Torelle, senior.
Support for the Villa Drum Squad initiative was well received by other senators as well.
"$1,000 would go so much further for them than it would go to the library," said Senator Scott Olberding, senior.
Another finalist initiative is library improvements in the study rooms, specifically more electrical outlets and library furniture.
During busy library weeks, such as finals week, students may have a difficult time accessing an electrical outlet.
According to Senator Jenn Pesut, junior, helping fund new furniture in the library would help escalate the progress on the future library project.
Another initiative involves allocating funds to support administration funds to the Haggerty Lounge café.
The Capital Improvements Fund would make the lounge more aesthetically pleasing and provide new furniture.
According to ASUP President Colton Coughlin, senior, the administration has asked ASUP to help with funding of the furniture.
Since the Haggerty Lounge café would cater to off-campus students as well as on-campus students, the initiative should be supported, said Senator Dorwart, junior.
The last two items were funding improvements in the residence halls and an artificial Christmas tree.
According to Coughlin, the Christmas tree that is located in Franz Hall during the winter season is a real tree.
The artificial tree would be used for the Christmas lighting ceremony, and would possibly be located next to the Bell Tower.
According to Coughlin, an artificial tree would be reusable and sustainable.
Residence hall improvements would include new televisions or furniture in the dorm lounge areas.
Senators gave various reasons for eliminating the other five initiatives.
"Although the water feature would be cool, it would cost more money than we have," C.P.B. Director Tarra McCurdy, senior, said.
Senators decided against funding improvements in the stage pieces and the cove sidewalk project, since improvements have already started on trimming the bushes by The Cove without additional financing from the Capital Improvements Fund.
Stage pieces used for university events and the theatre would have been considered, but the need was not immediate.
Approximately 12 bike racks are already being installed, eliminating the need for ASUP capital improvement funding.
During the first senate retreat at the beginning of the fall semester, the senators formulated a list of 20 ideas regarding improvements on campus, according to Corrado Hall Senator Jeff Makjavich.
"We brainstormed ideas on the spot about stuff we'd like to happen on campus," freshmen Makjavich said.
At the second senate meeting after the retreat, the list was rendered and recognized as final without further debate, according to Makjavich.
"From that meeting we said we would not add any more items," Makjavich said.
From the tentative list of twenty items, the Executive Board narrowed the list to 10 items.
According to ASUP Vice President Alyssa Schmidt-Carr, senior, the most feasible and affordable items stayed on the list.
