The Student Assembly held its first meeting of the year yesterday at the Straight and approved a resolution to allot emergency money toward the landlord-tenant surveillance situation in off-campus housing.
Cornell allocated $7,400 of Joint Assemblies Financial Aid Review Committee (JAFARC) money. JAFARC is an organization whose main function is to support the Students’ Helping Students Fund, which allocates money to students in emergency situations. The University took the money without first gaining JAFARC’s approval, and the S.A. resolution will reflect their disapproval of the University action.
Tim Lim ’06, executive vice president of the S.A., said that the issue is not whether or not the administration should have used the money but that they were only contacted by the administration after the money was given.
Toby Lewis ’05, chair of JAFARC, suggested that for possible future emergency situations, that University administration have temporary control over funds, but that JAFARC should be contacted in ample time to approve the use of the money.
“The University felt they had to act quickly to save face,” said Joshua Bronstein ’05, vice president of finance, but they have to understand that it was not their money to begin with.” He added that JAFARC is equipped to respond to those emergency situations within 24 hours but doubts the University’s ability to do so.
“This resolution is really saying that JAFARC would appreciate a heads-up from the administration in the future,” said Lim.
Avery Kotler ’95, senior director of business and legal affairs for Napster was present at the meeting to answer questions and clarify the new Napster program that began on August 30. Kotler says that Napster built a local server so songs are centrally served. Cornell saves money on bandwidth and students can protect their computers from viruses because they don’t have to download from outside the Cornell community.
The S.A. approved an ad hoc Napster committee as a liaison between Napster and the Cornell Community, which may do promotions for Napster.
The 2004-2005 Election Calendar and Postering Policy was also passed. This policy requires all candidates to go before the S.A. in order to poster on campus.
Election packets are also available for interested candidates and they can be picked up at Day Hall. The first meeting for interested candidates is on September 7th at the International Lounge in the Straight at 5:00 p.m.
Archived article by Mary Chu
Sun Staff Writer