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After more than three hours of intense debate, the General Student Senate denied all funding for the Maine Masque’s proposed trip to New York City. The group had requested $1,300 to pay for transportation for their three-day visit, which will include Broadway plays, museum visits and a tour of New York University.
The resolution to allocate the money had went to the senate two weeks ago and was postponed when concerns were raised about the itinerary of the trip. The primary issue was the time was not structured enough and the trip “sounded more like a vacation,” according to Sen. Carl Anderson.
Sarah Farnham, secretary of Maine Masque, presented the group’s revised plans at Tuesday’s meeting. She described the trip as an educational experience and stressed how important it is for aspiring actors and actresses to see professional theatre. “This is not a getaway – it’s an inspiration,” Farnham said.
Some senators did not see the trip from Farnham’s point of view. Of particular concern was an ad posted by Maine Masque on FirstClass which advertised nine open spots.
Included in the ad was a list of activities that were available in New York City. Sen. Samantha Shulman quoted the ad as offering the opportunity to, “Go to a museum, a sporting event, a club, great restaurants, a Broadway show or shopping.” Shulman, along with several other senators, questioned the academic value of a trip to “visit a club or go shopping.”
Another point of contention for the senate was the amount of money being spent on accommodations. Maine Masque planned to stay at the Milford Hotel on Broadway, which would have cost $4,267 for three nights. Prices were not available at the meeting for other options, but Farnham said she had researched 20 other hotels in a 20-mile radius and there was very little difference in the prices. Farnham wanted to stay on Broadway to cut travel expenses and give students more opportunity to see the city.
Some senators dismissed this idea based on personal experience, saying that transportation around New York City was simple to navigate and that it was not necessary to be on Broadway. Gimbala Sankare, president of the Class of 2010, said, “I live in New York – saying it’s not centralized is absurd. Clearly, research has not been done.”
Sen. Dillon Bates spoke in favor of the allocation. “Maine Masque puts on shows entirely by themselves in addition to being the backbone of the theater community on campus. Overall, they will bring a lot back to the student body.”
Other senators pointed out that Maine Masque offers all their performances to University of Maine students free and could easily have fundraised for their trip by charging for tickets.
Ultimately, the resolution failed with a 10 to 15 vote. Deanne Dutton, treasurer of Maine Masque expressed her disappointment in the senate’s decision, but said the trip would go on. “We’ll find other ways of funding it. It’s too late to cancel at this point.”
The senate also heard a presentation from Lauri Sidelko, co-chair of the Tobacco-Free Campus Committee, about the possibility of UMaine becoming a tobacco-free campus.
Sidelko said the idea came as part of an “overall wellness movement that started with the building of the new Recreation Center.”
Although many of the plans are still in the works, Sidelko promised that there would be open forums for people to voice their concerns. She said input and approval from the students and faculty was of the utmost importance to her committee.
Sen. Michaela Fisher Luke asked if a plan had been created to enforce the tobacco ban, but Sidelko said that nothing had been officially decided. She did cite a few other schools which had taken a “tiered approach,” with increasing consequences for repeated violations. She said a small backlash was expected, but other universities who have gone tobacco-free reported success in their programs.
Ultimately, she said the decision to make UMaine tobacco-free resides with President Kennedy, and it will be at least one year before any bans go into effect.
Elections for Residents on Campus president and vice president are scheduled for the last Wednesday before spring break on Feb. 27. Luke and Ross Wolland are both running uncontested for President and Vice President. Current ROC President Justin Labonte said elections will be canceled unless someone announces a write-in candidacy. Inaugurations will take place on March 17.
Luke and Wolland are currently members of ROC. Labonte expressed confidence in both candidates, citing their combined experience in the senate as preparation for executive positions in ROC.
Student Government President Steve Moran announced that the next Meet Your Student Leaders Breakfast will be held this Monday, Feb. 25, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. in front of the Spirit Room in the Memorial Union.
An allocation was made to Wilde Stein for $3,062.50 to pay for a drag show announcer during Pride Week. The Men’s Rugby Club received $3,000 for a tournament in Georgia; the International Students Association was allocated $500; Alpine Ski received $340.20; and the Nordic Ski Club was given $815.60 for their tournament this weekend. $3,000 was transferred from other senate funds to unallocated.
Before all allocations were made, the senate budget was $13,292.74. After all allocations, the amount left was $9074.44.
