The WKU Student Government Association held its weekly meeting on Tuesday, March 11, where they presented the Gregory McKinney Leadership and Involvement Black History Month scholarship and passed five bills to allocate funds for campus organizations and events.
Vice President Donté Reed presented Summer Doris and Kyanna Edmonds with the Gregory McKinney Leadership And Involvement Black History Month Scholarship. Reed said the scholarship is designed to be awarded to an African American student who displays leadership skills through involvement on campus or in their community.
Chief Communications Officer Preston Jenkins and PCAL Senator Sophia Bryant proposed Bill 6-25-S: Funding for the AfroLatinadad Event, which initially proposed to allocate $500 from the legislative discretionary fund. This was amended to grant $350 to fund a live musical performance for the event.
“They will be performing specifically AfroLatinadad music, which is a fusion of African and Latino cultures which is something that I know is very important for the Spanish department to celebrate,” Bryant said.
Bryant and Campus Improvements and Sustainability Officer Rush Robinson proposed Bill 7-25-S: Funding for Reusable Water Bottles and Stickers for WKU Students, which allocates $181.97 from the legislative discretionary budget to purchase 100 reusable water bottles and 600 stickers to be passed out to students at SGA-poll-ooza, happening at the South Lawn on April 13.
Robinson also proposed Bill 8-25-S: Funding for Sustainable Gift Bags for WKU Students, which allocates $378.90 to create gift bags to also hand out at SGA-poll-ooza. The gift bags will contain pens, pencils, fidget toys, lip balm, notepads, Emergen-C, gum and candy.
Chief Financial Officer Ethan Taylor proposed Bill 12-25-S: Organizational Aid Funding Spring 2025 which allocates $9,800 to several Registered Student Organizations. Each organization will receive between $100 and $500 from the organizational aid budget.
“We had 60 organizations apply this spring, which is awesome,” Taylor said. “27 of them were new applicants, meaning they didn’t apply in the fall.”
Sophomore Senator Caroline Yates proposed Bill 16-25-S: “Funding for the Supplies for Success Drive,” which allocates $200 from the legislative discretionary fund, benefitting Lost River Elementary School, to be used on school supplies and public relations for the drive.
Yates initially proposed that this bill ask for $300.
The same fundraiser was held last semester, where $300 was granted for the drive. The Senate agreed that less money was needed since the fundraiser does not need the same “kick start” it did in the fall.
“All of the money that’s being spent is going towards something positive,” Yates said.
