Treasury representatives allocated $15,819.50 at their first meeting of the semester. (Zoe Oppenheimer | Student Life)

The Treasury branch of Student Union (SU) had their first meeting of the semester this Tuesday, where they welcomed new Treasury representatives, discussed goals for the year, and heard appeals from clubs, Sept. 5.

During the meeting, representatives allocated $15,819.50 to seven different clubs, ranging from cultural affinity groups to club sports to competitive academic clubs. 

Before hearing appeals, senior Mishka Narasimhan, Vice President of Finance, gave a presentation with some larger goals for the organization, as well as the principles that representatives ought to follow when hearing appeals from eligible student groups. 

“As a general overview, we want to be prioritizing needs versus wants,” Narasimhan said. “We also want to prioritize mission-related events versus social events.”

Narasimhan, who served as the Speaker of the Treasury last year, also emphasized the importance of determining whether a group has done their due diligence in finding the most cost-effective options possible. 

Additionally, as of this year, money for travel will be allocated differently depending on whether the student group asking for the funds submitted their appeal at least four weeks before the event in question. 

Appeals that are submitted less than four weeks in advance will be subsidized at a maximum of $120 per room per night for hotels and $300 for flights, whereas appeals that are submitted before that deadline are only subject to the maximum of $850 per traveling member per year.

“This is to incentivize groups to submit their appeals earlier on,” Narasimhan said. “If a group has done their due diligence and submitted their appeal early on, you should fund it.” 

Senior Justin Kouch, Treasury representative, asked Narasimhan whether there was flexibility in the policy for clubs that are only made aware of an event last-minute, such as a club sports team getting assigned to a certain tournament by a larger governing body.

In response, Narasimhan said that there will be no exceptions to the new policy.

“If you just found out, and your prices are higher than [the maximum], then I’m sorry,” Narasimhan said. “We’re happy to subsidize and give you $120 per room per night and $300 per flight, which is still a good amount, but you might still have to pay out-of-pocket.”

After the presentation, Treasury representatives moved to hear appeals from seven different clubs, all of which received funding, at least in part, for the events that they needed funding for. 

WashU’s Association of Black Students was funded for $2,162 in order to send roughly 100 Black students to have a sanctuary experience where they can connect with nature while forming and strengthening their relationships with one another. 

Hillel was funded $2,500 for refreshments and to secure the services of a rabbi in order to host events on the Jewish holidays Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, in addition to previous funds from the general budget. 

The Men’s Club Ice Hockey team appealed for $5,212.50 in order to lengthen their biweekly practices by a half hour, for a total of 90 minutes, to get more time on the ice.

Representatives for the club, which finished one win away from qualifying for Nationals last year,  explained that some members have academic conflicts that make it difficult to attend practice.

“The program is really on the rise,” a representative said. “Last year, we were ranked second in the nation by midseason rankings. Having these extra 30 minutes is really huge for us — it allows us to be more competitive, and bonds us together as a team.” 

While some Treasury representatives empathized with the logistical difficulties, others pointed out that the high cost was coming in addition to the roughly $19,000 that had been previously budgeted for time on the ice. 

“If we add their request to what they have already been allocated, then it’s about $1,000 per member,” junior and Treasury representative Saish Satyal said. “That’s just for practice alone — not even including travel.” 

In response, sophomore and Treasury representative Neil Chavan pointed out that other groups have easier access to practice facilities.

“I think [that], because of the logistical constraints around ice hockey, this makes logistical sense to me,” Chavan said. “Basketball or frisbee, they can go to the rec on their own time. These guys need the ice rink.” 

Representatives came to a compromise by funding the group for $2,937.50, which would allow them to extend half of their 40 practices this semester by a half hour. 

Next, Quiz Bowl received $1,232 in order to send 20 students to the University of Missouri for a competitive tournament to start off their year. Mock Trial received $1,564 to send 10 students to the Illini Invitational Tournament at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. 

Club Tennis received $1,974 to send eight students to a tournament in Missouri Valley. Rock Climbing received $3,450 to send 30 students to the Holy Boulders competition, where they will be camping and bouldering. 

In a follow-up interview with Student Life, junior Sadie Karp talked about her experience leading her first Treasury session as the new Speaker of the Treasury and her goals for the year.

“[I want to] promote an inclusive environment where all representatives feel comfortable and empowered to share their opinion,” Karp said. “Stick with consistent rationale — groups should be able to predict our allocations. Fund fun! That one sounds a bit silly, but in my opinion, that is the purpose of Treasury — to help groups put on events [that] they are passionate about, all while staying fiscally responsible, of course.” 

Tuesday was the first-ever meeting for five of the 16 representatives in Treasury this semester: sophomores Jonah Satyr, Neil Chavan, Aryan Pradhan, Leila Asadi, and Gisela Liu. 

“I love the new members already!” Karp said. “Bringing in new members each year is essential — they add new perspectives, which keeps SU healthy and helps us continually improve.”