WRECK Racing
SGA passed a bill allocating $7,645.65 to WRECK Racing as a replacement to their annual budget, due to internal issues in submitting their annual 2011 budget. This bill is intended to help fund the two new vehicles that the team is running, as well as a series of upgrades for the current car, which won last years’ Grassroots Motorsports Challenge.
The team hopes to equip the current car with the ability to race on tracks. Some of the proposed improvements include racing tires, fuel for competition vehicles, engine replacement parts, shop safety equipment and other racing components.
Brian Sohacki, President of WRECK Racing, explained that there were several issues with the previous budget because new club members were struggling with a lack of experience. Due to a misinterpretation of the JacketPages submission process, WRECK Racing has not yet received a 2011 budget.
“There are always inherent problems replacing old members with new members, and with that there is always a lack of communication and not everyone gets correct training,” Sohacki said during the Tuesday night UHR meeting. The bills, both authored by ME Rep. Priya Patel, sought to correct those issues in order to improve the financial standing of the team and correct the budgetary problems.
“We’ve been surviving for the past few months on the small amount of money we had, and have worked to raise more,” Sohacki said.
The team has found two new sponsors and has also received several new donations in order to stay afloat, including a donation from the parents of a former team member.
Sohacki said that WRECK Racing survives with much less that other motor sports teams, and that with the new budget, the team can become more competitive and can improve performance.
This bill passed the UHR by a 42-1-1 vote.
New News
Institute-wide Committees Chair Merry Hunter Hipp reported that her committee is currently researching various alternatives to replace the former Campus News Service.
The Campus News Service provided members around Tech’s campus with free copies of noted newspapers and journals, with the purpose of educating the students. The service, found to be expensive with limited campus exposure, was voted on and ended last year by SGA.
“We are continuing to explore other options for students to get their news, an alternative to the old Campus News Service. We are currently looking into some electronic reader programs that many [students] are probably familiar with,” Hipp said.
JacketPages
During the Vice President of Communications report, the newly unveilied JacketPages was announced and SGA members were encouraged to advertise the new system around campus.
The newly designed JacketPages is now live. Executive Vice President Austen Edwards announced that the SGA Advisory, a group of campus leaders who meet bi-weekly to advise the Executive Board Members, discussed the newly live JacketPages and the possibilities for it in and around campus.
Newly-appointed Vice President of Campus Organizations Aaron Greenwood reported that as new campus organizations are chartered, his committee would update Jacketpages regularly and that web developers were continuing to work out bugs with the new system.
New Positions
SGA voted unanimously to appoint third year ISyE major Eran Mordel as Vice President of Campus Affairs, third-year BA Amit Khanduri as Vice President of Academic Affairs and third-year STAC major Vett Vandiver as Vice President of Communications.
Vice President of Finance Charley Crosson was also appointed as the Joint Finance Committee Chair and is responsible for managing the Joint Finance Committee’s efforts to prepare and write the annual Student Activities Fee Budget.
Additionally, CEE grad student Aaron Greenwood was named Joint Chair of Campus Organizations.