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Student Executive Vice President, Levi Bulgar, talks about how he reworked his proposal for the new computers for the student government office at last weeks Student Senate meeting. (John Bailey/The Daily Eastern News)

Computer vote planned tonight

By: Rick Kambic/Student Government Reporter

Posted: 3/5/08

Student Senate will vote on the purchase of 12 new computers tonight.

The computers will cost $13,000 and will replace the computers in the Student Activity Center.

The Apportionment Board approved the proposal 6-0 with one abstention during Thursday's meeting.

The senate will first vote to release the money from AB. The senate will then vote to give final approval to the expense.

Levi Bulgar, student executive vice president, waited nearly a month for AB to approve the proposal. Bulgar's original proposal to AB on Feb. 7 was for 16 new computers for $17,000. Bulgar's second proposal was for 12 computers because some student organizations could not receive computers funded by student fees.

Bulgar also submitted the third resolution. He is requesting $103.43 for travel and lodging expenses for him to fulfill his responsibilities on Gov. Rod Blagojevich's Campus Safety and Student Mental Health Taskforce.

The $103.43 was calculated with a university formula for travel vouchers, Bulgar said. Because he drives his own car to conferences, the university also pays for upkeep as well as gas mileage.

"More than likely, after the last two Illinois Board of Higher Education meetings, I will be using the rest of this money to get an oil change and do other minor repairs," Bulgar said. "Because I'm not technically a university employee, I can't drive a university car, and I use my car to attend a lot of meetings."

The taskforce will meet in Springfield on April 3, and Bulgar will be the only student representative within the group of about 30 people.

"It's mainly people who have worked on campuses in the security and law enforcement aspects," Bulgar said. "I'm more of a liaison from IBHE to that taskforce, and then an Eastern representative."

Topics will include student behavioral contracts, student mental health issues, camera and lighting needs on campus and potential electronic warning options for campuses, Bulgar said. He said the final suggestions would be forwarded to Blagojevich for him to enter into legislation.

The fourth resolution would finalize the hiring of Scott Murray as the Student Government's marketing director. The senate would approve a $500 transfer from the non-employee travel account to the student payroll account.

Student Senate Speaker Megan Ogulnick said the travel account has enough leftover funds to allow the $500 transaction. She told AB on Thursday that student government has problems attracting students to events, and a marketing director would increase advertising effectiveness.

Murray would get paid $10 per hour, up to a $500 limit per semester.

Rick Kambic can be reached at 581-7942 or at rwkambic@eiu.edu.