TSG discusses funding, pay

With election fever sweeping campus, Monday’s meeting of the Temple Student Government echoed the aggressive attitude that students hear across the university. Beginning with the approval of their new Elections Commisioner, Patrice Whiting, TSG took

With election fever sweeping campus, Monday’s meeting of the Temple Student Government echoed the aggressive attitude that students hear across the university.

Beginning with the approval of their new Elections Commisioner, Patrice Whiting, TSG took on many of the problems it has faced recently.

One of the meeting’s loudest voices came from the TSG’s Academic Affairs Committee, where chairman Nick D’Allesandro reminded the assembly and its constituencies that if they had problems with their academic advisors, TSG would help.

“One girl said, ‘I wish everybody’s adviser was like mine.’ We’re trying to use those [advisers] as models,” D’Allesandro said.

However, most of the problems that TSG addressed had nothing to do with life in the classroom. Most representatives spoke time and again about the importance of life during the other 19 hours of the day.

TSG President Naeem Thompson informed the assembly that the administration had explained their recent decision to change payment of student employees to a bi-weekly system.

“Students aren’t being paid less, they’re just being paid at a different frequency,” Thompson explained. “Most universities pay student workers bi-weekly.”

However, some representatives were unimpressed with the administration’s response. Yosef Kalish, Environmental Affairs Chairman told the assembly his work-study horror story: he did five weeks of unpaid work because of a new rule.

“I won’t be paid for five weeks of work because [the administration] said they won’t pay workers until their paperwork goes through,” Kalish said. “How do I get my pay back?”

However, TSG did not just use the meeting to object to the rules. They also commended those who took on their own challenges in the past. In recognition for their hard work in conjunction with the homecoming celebration, TSG Press Director Brian Harvey and Treasurer Cristina Ackas received plaques from TSG Vice President for Student Affairs Dekwuan Postell on behalf of the assembly.

“They did a really good job on homecoming, put in a lot of work. We just wanted to say thanks,” Postell said.

However, the main issue on the minds of TSG representatives on Monday was money. When Allocations Committee Chairman Michael Tramontana spoke, everybody listened. Tramontana’s message was simple: not every organization will get the cash that they need.

“Student enrollment’s gone up. Organizations have gone up, but the money has stayed about the same,” Tramontana said.

Tramontana leads the panel that decides whether each organization on campus needs the funding they’ve requested for the next year. He offered a tip to representatives trying to win big for their organizations.

“We have 125 organizations and $110,000,” Tramontana said. “When you talk to us, you’ve got to know what you’re talking about.”

Christopher Reber may be reached at chris-reber@temple.edu.

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