Council Clippings

This edition of Council Clippings, presented in a brand new format, covers two weeks of UHR and GSS meetings, from the dates of Nov. 20 and Nov. 27.

Bill of the Week Spotlight:

PASSED: Joint allocation to WREK Radio, requesting $187,600 for a replacement transmitter, amended by JFC recommendation down to $180,870.84 (passed UHR 33-6-1, passed GSS 21-4-0)

The WREK radio transmitter was originally installed in 1988 and is on its last legs, according to general manager Brad Petrick.

"We are trying to be financially responsible as a student organization, because if we wait until the point that the transmitter fails then we are going to cost ourselves and SGA a lot more money," Petrick said as he spoke on behalf of the bill to the UHR on Nov. 27.

He said the urgency behind replacing the transmitter comes from an offer of providing the transmitter to WREK at-cost, which represents a nearly $50,000 savings over the original price. Petrick said the offer would expire if WREK were not able to secure the SGA funding during that final meeting of the semester.

The necessity of replacement was also supported by opinions WREK has received from several different parties. Petrick presented a signed letter from Jim Evans, a former WREK employee in the 1970s who graduated from Tech with a master's degree in Electrical Engineering, stating that in his professional opinion the transmitter did need to be replaced soon.

The replacement transmitter would be capable of broadcasting in high definition (HD), a format which would allow WREK to begin broadcasting a subchannel alongside their existing broadcast at FM 91.1 MHz. The subchannel would be able to be received only by special high definition receivers which few own at the moment, but automobile manufacturers will be including them standard with many new model cars. Petrick said the subchannel would allow WREK to bring in more money; the Athletic Association, for example, has committed $25,000 to WREK for broadcasting sporting events on the subchannel. Otherwise, Petrick said the content on the subchannel would at the beginning be simply a 12-hour delay of the main channel.

The vast majority of the $187,600 requested comes from the cost of the transmitter itself, with the rest coming from associated equipment. Because WREK later agreed to pay the costs of the second channel automation system and a professional CD player with balanced output, the amount requested was reduced to $180,870.84. Also, the $8,594 cost of installation assistance was specified to be taken out of the prior year account while the rest came from the Capital Outlay account, which is reserved for long-term capital investments and equipment.

Senators voiced concerns both in support of granting WREK their request as well as taking a more cautious approach.

"[WREK] is a point of pride for Georgia Tech... by passing this today we show the Institute that we are committed to WREK and can leverage that to get additional support," said MATH Senator Mitch Keller.

"I think this is a discussion that needs to continue into next semester," said EAS Senator Grant Farmer. "Right now we're being pushed against the wall and asked for an answer and I don't think we can give that answer appropriately." Farmer questioned the necessity of upgrading to HD given that almost nobody would be able to access the subchannel, and wondered why students should have to shoulder such a large portion of the cost since alumni and the Atlanta community in general form so much of the WREK listener base.

Senators continued to express opinions coming down on both sides for about an hour but eventually the bill passed 21-4. When the bill came up in UHR that evening a similar debate broke out.

"I think passing this bill right now is a really smart investment, as we know that in the future it will cost more, and we should value the fact that this organization came to us with a very detailed plan, and that they have raised a lot of the funds on their own," said Junior Represenative Nick Wellkamp.

"I feel like this is being forced on us... I am concerned about [what] seems like an artificial deadline and we don't really know what the student body wants as far as WREK goes," said Sophomore Represenative Austin Rahn.

Anu Parvatiyar, undergraduate student body president, pointed out in the bill's support that the balance of the capital outlay account was unusually high, at a level higher than it had been at any point in the recent past, affording SGA the ability to make the large purchase.

As in the GSS meeting, the dissenters failed to prevent the bill from passing as the UHR ended up voting 33-6-1.

Officer's reports:

UHR: In her Nov. 20 report, undergraduate student body president Anu Parvatiyar discussed the distribution of football tickets for the UGA game, addressing student complaints and announcing that a task force will be reviewing ticket distribution in the spring, including possibly considering online distribution similar to that of basketball tickets.

Stephen Kump, vice president of campus affairs, made remarks about Dead Week rights and urged students to contact Anderson Smith, vice provost for academic affairs, with related concerns.

GSS: In the Nov. 20 officer reports, graduate student body president Brock Wester's officer's report included a proposal for an update of the graduation regalia for Ph.D. students, which is a decision that would have to come from the office of the President.

Speaking for the Health Services Committee, MATH senator Mitch Keller spoke of the high out-of-pocket cost of health care for graduate students under the Tech health plan. He said there is a trend among institutions for lowering support for graduate student health coverage and that "we are losing ground."

On Nov. 27, Wester informed the Senate about the display to go on Skiles for World AIDS Day on Nov. 29 and the memorial quilt to be created in conjunction.

Next week:

UHR and GSS have held their final meeting of the semester and will not meet again until the Spring semester.