Associated Student Government recognized two new student organizations—the Black and Gold Disc Golf Club and Toymakers and Textiles Club – and approved the fund request of the Instructional Technology Student Association during their fifth meeting on Oct. 21.

“I knew that I couldn’t be the only one that interested in making toys and costumes,” said Daniel Rush, senior biology major, and organizer of Toymakers and Textiles Club. “It’s also an interesting way to look at the history of multicultural toys and costumes.”

Toymakers and Textiles Club has six members now. They plan to hold a public toys and costumes show in local library this semester. After making those toys and costumes, Rush and his friends are going to sale them to toy shops or donate to schools.

“We are also going to one of the schools and working with the kids, focusing on developing their creativities,” Rush said.

After being recognized as a new student organization, the Black and Gold Disc Golf club already had their first meeting on Nov. 1 and they currently have 15 members. Jason Pfortmiller, sophomore business and accounting major and John Alfrey, sophomore secondary education speech and theatre major, introduced the club.

“Our main purpose is to just get students all together in a recreational way, anyone can do, male, female, of any age group,” Pfortmiller said.

The Instructional Technology Student Association is receiving a $1,747.80 fund from ASG for attending two technology conferences in this semester and next March. Jonathan D’Souza, IDT graduate assistant, introduced ITSA’s purpose of going to conferences.

“Technology is always changing. So we go to these conferences. Whatever the speakers say, recommend I will take consideration, then bring it back here,” D’Souza said.

Jonathan Rivers, senior secondary education major, and president of associated student government, encouraged senators to visit Kansas Board of Regents’ website and to learn about the Kansas Commitment and Foresight 2020.

Rivers attends Kansas Board of Regents meetings every month as a member of the student advisers committee and to give suggestions and feedback from the perspective of a student.

Lynn Hobson, the assistant vice president for student life, introduced a guest from Ukraine, who is in an exchange program and came to learn how student affairs work in the United States. She took pictures for all the senators after the meeting.

Han Yan/The Bulletin

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Emporia State’s Associated Student Government approved a $3,635.22 in fundsfor the Sociology Club, Chinese Student Association and MBA Association during0 their fourth meeting of the year on Oct. 7.

Emporia State’s Associated Student Government approved a $3,635.22 in fundsfor the Sociology Club, Chinese Student Association and MBA Association during0 their fourth meeting of the year on Oct. 7.

“We were really looking forward to it. It’s the first thing our organization has really done like this. I think it would be a good learning experience for our group,” said Andrea Schmidt,president of MBA Association.

Schmidt said the funding from ASG is really important to help pay for the MBA Association’s trips, especially the one they planned to St. Louis over fall break.

“We were trying to keep it inexpensive and that’s why we got so many people to go. With that it could really make this a pretty inexpensive trip for all they were doing,” Schmidt said.

In the revised Senate Finance Policy, the student activity fee increased from $474 to $511. The $137 increase was mainly caused by a $123.75 increase in Student Union Improvements fees, which were $9.25 before the change.

The Policy also adds new rules and procedures concerning the Recognized Student Organization (RSO) fund allocations, including that no RSO may use the funds for national dues, refreshments for meetings or any food purchases, office supplies (exempting ASG), food on trips, taxes, sports organizations, prizes and clothing.

“Actually these policies, we’ve been doing it, but we haven’t actually put them into our policies,” said Ashley Vogts, fiscal affairs chair for ASG. “Because its state funded… so it’s not really our doing, it’s more like the state or budget and what we are allowed to give money for.”

Jonathan Rivers, president of ASG, reported from the open forum last week and the plan for next month. He also gave the updated information about the Kansas Commitment, a new approved $50 million investment plan for Kansas higher education.

Aaron Koch, senior health promotions major, was elected the new senator to represent the Teacher’s College.

“I am here to represent what’s said in the Teacher’s College, the elementary teachers, high school teachers, whatever they would like to see happen,” Koch said. “I could be the person to bring it here. We can make that change.”

Lynn Hobson, the assistant vice president for student life, formally announced that Whitney McGinnis, who was the graduate advisor for ASG and RSOs, resigned from her position because she has other things to take care of before graduating this December. No new adviser has been announced.

Han Yan

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Emporia State graduate student Michelle Hernandez, Greek Life Coordinator at the Center for Student Involvement (CSI) for ESU, demonstrates her passion for student involvement as the interim coordinator for Greek Life.

“Through my involvement here, I have decided that I have a love for student affairs and that it is something that I would like to make my career in.” Hernandez said. “I love Greek life.”

Hernandez was always involved on campus as an Emporia State University undergraduate student. When Hernandez enrolled to obtain her master’s degree she also received a Graduate Assistant position for Greek Life in the CSI office.

“I have known Michelle for about three years when I was the director of the Union and she was an undergraduate student in Greek Life,” said Lynn Hobson, associate vice president of Student Life at ESU. “She is very outgoing, friendly and welcoming towards other people.”

Hobson said Hernandez cares about students and really wants them to have the best experience possible.

“Michelle is a really caring person and always willing to help out whenever,” said Hayley Finch, senior communication major.

Hernandez is originally from Kingman. She graduated from ESU in May 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. Hernandez is now in a master’s program for her MBA.

“Michelle is really dependable.” Hobson said. “If she said she is going to do something, she gets it done, and she gets it done on time.”

When Hernandez acted as a graduate assistant, she just jumped in and wanted to learn everything she could about the process, Hobson said.

There are six fraternities and five sororities in the ESU Greek community. Hernandez thinks that ESU has a really great community because they are so small. Hernandez was in one of the sororities when she was an undergraduate at ESU.

“They collaborate on a lot of things, and are really unified.” Hernandez said. “Since I am disaffiliated, and we want to be impartial, I can’t tell people which chapter I was in.”

According to Hernandez, joining Greek Life can help to focus on important principles like leadership, scholarship, and stewardship.

“You will find there are a lot of people who are leaders in organizations that are also Greeks.” Hernandez said. “Greek Life opens a lot of doors for students to meet a lot of people, and they can learn how to be a leader. The Greeks also all do study hours, and they all have minimum GPA requirements.”

As Interim Greek Life Coordinator, Hernandez works on advising Panhellenic Association, Interfraternity Council, the order of Omega (which is the Honor society for Greeks), Greeks Advocating Mature Management Alcohol (GAMMA) and United Greeks Association (UGA). Hernandez works with presidents of different chapters and helps by advising them about any issue that they may be having with Greek Life as a whole, or with a certain chapter.

“She may advise them how to take the next steps to make sure things go smoothly.” Hobson said. “Michelle is doing a really good job because she is still a graduate student. She is advising, and going to school.”

Yun Lauren Liu/Staff Writer

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