The Student Government Association went long into the night debating a finance bill for students asking for funding for SGA for trips abroad to academic conferences while quick work was made for the recent treasurer appointment.

While last week was locked in heavy debate over the issue of who will be the next treasurer, this week was relatively quick. Former applicants Chris Hall and Casey Donnell both dropped, leaving Tessie Arambula as the only applicant.

Arambula was accepted overwhelmingly by the Senate and was sworn in.

“I’m looking forward to reviewing everything they (SGA) got as far as the accounting procedure, definitely the legislative journal, and getting to know all the SGA members,” Arambula said. “I’m looking forward to getting started.”

Arambula is a fourth- year accounting major that will be returning for another year to finish her degree. While she has no outside SGA experience, Arambula believes her internship and outside experience will aid her.

“I feel pretty good about what experience I do have,” she said. “I have strong members that will be on my committee and people from SGA past that I can definitely call up. I have resources and I definitely plan on using them.”

Arambula decided to run for the position after a few of her friends that were in SGA talked to her about the position.

“I want to focus on holding a position that is going to improve my job experience, my accounting experience,” she said. “I went after it, put all my eggs in one basket and prayed for the best.”

Hall, the current treasurer for SGA, said that he dropped from the race due to him growing tried of SGA. Donnell said he was worried that having only two applicants could prevent the two-thirds majority needed for a treasurer nomination, and said he would rather avoid tying up the Senate on this.

The main debate for the night was the issue of whether or not Donnell and two other students should receive funding for a trip to Cuba for an art conference.

Donnell believed that although he was not presenting a thesis that his work was still academically meritorious. Supporters also argued that this was a rare chance for Wichita State to be represented in Cuba.

Opponents argued that the trip was worth credit hours and could set a bad precedent for SGA funding to study abroad classes. They also pointed out that this funding request was rejected twice by the Budget & Finance Committee and the Campus Issues Committee, failing its two appeals.
The vote came to a failure by one vote, and the senate moved on to debate a variety of other resolutions and bills for the night.