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Friday, March 29, 2024
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Student Association derecognizes two clubs

SA senators voted against derecognizing two clubs before discussing recent Spectrum coverage

The Student Association Senate voted on the status of four clubs at its Feb. 22 meeting, and discussed the contents of a Feb. 18 Spectrum article. 

Senators voted against derecognizing Pre-Meds Without Borders and Knit and Crochet Club and unanimously derecognized Fashion SA and Sailing Club due to the clubs’ inactivity. SA executive board members Tanahiry Escamilla and Gunnar Haberl also discussed The Spectrum’s coverage of SA. 

The senate voted on whether Pre-Meds Without Borders should be derecognized for the advertisement of its spring break trip. SA’s lawyers sent a cease-and-desist letter when the club posted an advertisement for the trip on Facebook as a “collaboration” with Global Brigades. The trip posed a similar issue last year. 

“It had the SA logo on it, which insinuates it’s a club and Global Brigades collaboration,” SA Vice President Anyssa Evelyn said. “If it didn’t insinuate collaboration this wouldn’t have been a discussion at all.”

Haberl, SA president, said if anything were to happen and students associated the trip with SA, the organization would be “liable” for anything that could happen. 

Some senators said they took issue with the insinuation of a collaboration while others felt it would be a “disservice” to UB students to derecognize the club, as it is “one of the most active clubs.”

Senators voted against derecognizing the club, with 11 votes opposed to derecognition and six abstentions. 

Knit and Crochet Club also presented its plea to remain recognized. The club missed five of eight club requirements last semester and attributed this to its low attendance numbers, with only 8-10 regular attendees. 

The club’s e-board presented plans to make up the missed requirements as well as plans to increase club membership this semester. Senators voted not to derecognize the club.

Senators derecognized Fashion SA and Sailing Club unanimously, as no one from either club showed up to present a case. Senate Chair Eric Weinman showed an email from Fashion SA’s e-board in which it requested the club be derecognized and removed from SA’s mailing list.

Haberl made an announcement regarding The Spectrum’s SA coverage and encouraged members to reach out about upcoming SA elections April 2-4.

Haberl said he discussed the upcoming e-board elections in his past two student body emails, but feels Spectrum coverage will help SA reach a larger demographic.

The Spectrum will adhere to past election coverage, with a “Meet the Candidates” breakdown and coverage of the election results. 

SA Treasurer Tanahiry Escamilla also read through The Spectrum’s article on SA late card fees to the senate to discuss a comment in the article where a senator said he felt “obligated” to vote on the budget. She said voting is to ensure she is following predetermined SA rules and that senators can always abstain from voting. 

“If you felt pressured [to vote], you could have totally abstained,” Escamilla said. “We have time for discussion yet, it's only if I am really out of line [with the charges].”

Escamilla also talked about Photo Club’s late credit card return and reassured the senate that SA would not charge the club an outstanding late fee for a previous member’s negligence. She said SA will only charge the club “the remaining balance left in [its] account” at the time of her meeting with Photo Club President Jack Li.

Brittany Gorny contributed to this story. 

Jacklyn Walters is a Co-senior News Editor and can be reached at jacklyn.walters@ubspectrum.com and on Twitter @JacklynUBSpec. 


JACKLYN WALTERS
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Jacklyn Walters is a senior communication major and The Spectrum's managing editor. She enjoys bringing up politics at the dinner table and seeing dogs on campus. 

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