The Student Government Association (SGA) unanimously passed the first resolution of the academic year, officially de-recognizing inactive student organizations, at the SGA meeting last Wednesday.

The clubs de-recognized “have either contacted Tim Asher (director of Student Activities and Leadership Developments) requesting de-recognition or have been inactive and failed to re-register for two or more consecutive semesters,” according to the resolution drafted by Dan Scapardine, vice president of Legal and Governmental Affairs.

“It is our job to maintain and house clean when it comes to campus organizations. When clubs don’t re-register for two consecutive semesters, we have the power to de-recognize them,” Scapardine said. “We did make an effort to reach out to all these clubs and see if they had plans to be active on campus.”

“The Student Government Association has the duty to monitor the activity of student organizations and holds the right to formally withdraw recognition of said groups,” the resolution explains.

The clubs that were de-recognized by SGA in the resolution are Flying Lions Adventure Club, History Club, Individuals for Diversity and Equality Awareness in Learning, Students Acting for the Environment, Students for Academic Freedom, Triathlon Club, Society of Professional Engineers, Blue Key and National Residence Hall Honorary.

Meanwhile, the Applebees fundraiser for the junior class council has been postponed until Oct. 25, Brianne Stratton, vice president of Community Relations, said.

The Senior Class Council is planning a costume party senior night at Katmandu on Oct. 30, Brad Henriksen, senior class vice president, said. The cover charge will be waived and buses will be provided. Ticket information will be coming soon.

The Freshman Class Council’s main event for its Battle of the Towers fundraiser will likely be on Nov. 16 in the Packer gym, Gina Baxter, freshman class president, said. The council is also looking to hold the freshman semi-formal on April 18.

The Battle of the Towers week-long event from Nov. 12-16 will feature three 20-member teams from Travers, Wolfe and Cromwell halls competing in different challenges, including a themed costume contest, Matthew Daley, freshman class vice president, said.

The Equity & Diversity committee is planning a multi-panel series titled “Things You Are Not Supposed to Talk About,” Jenna Klubnick, student trustee, said. The first panel will be on the topic of politics and is scheduled for Oct. 24 at 8:30 p.m.

Christine Cullen, executive president, thanked those who came to the Student Feedback Forum last Tuesday night on behalf of Stephanie Cwynar, vice president of Student Services. “I think (Cwynar) got a lot of good feedback to guide her committee,” Cullen said.

SGA held elections for four internal positions, including the new position of Class Council Coordinator. Kelly Rossiter, freshman senator-at-Large, was elected historian; Sheil Naik, junior senator of Business, was elected parliamentarian; Tiana Lautato, junior senator of Business, was elected class council coordinator; and Billy Plastine, sophomore senator-at-Large, was elected speaker of the Senate.

SGA also approved two freshman associate members, Amanda Esposito and Maurice Crawley, who were then sworn in to SGA by Cullen.

During open floor, Daley brought to discussion an opinion article published in last week’s Signal regarding the Student Finance Board (SFB).

“Basically, a club came up wanting funding for a conference,” John Ronan, vice president of Administration and Finance and SGA representative to SFB, said. The conference did not fit SFB budget policy for conference funding, so the club was denied funding for the conference.

“There was an aspect of (the article) saying that their representative, their liaison that they were in contact with, said that it would be fine and then it was pulled out from under them, but more or less, (it was that) the application that they had filled out was filled out correctly, not that they were going to be funded,” Ronan said.

“The club was not able to prove that by going on this conference they would benefit students at the College,” Cullen said.

Ronan said the amount of money that was requested for 16 students to attend the conference would mean that those students, plus four additional students, would have to not participate in any other SAF-funded activities for the rest of the year to break even, given the amount each student at the College pays toward the SAF. “That is the impact that the expense would have,” Ronan said.

“I completely agree with what you are saying . but I’ve been hearing a lot of people saying things complaining about SFB,” Jen Hill, sophomore senator of Culture and Society, said. “I think people are asking for more direction because they are not getting funding, which is fine and if it is justified, it is justified, but then they don’t know what to do after that.”

Cullen encouraged organizations to contact their SFB liaisons with any problems or concerns.