COCA October 14th, 2010 Minutes

Emily Cyree Eliana Kristina Brit Josh Jessica Kalei Martin Sam Nina

visitors: rob (rjl07) ilana (igr08)

kalei: jorge is not coming back. he has left hampshire. elections for financial director tuesday for the rest of the semester. not enough time tonight; our last meeting (last thursday) was not very productive, so we need to catch up. Check the bylaws to understand what the position entails, and ask me for more details. Josh will have the minutes up by tomorrow. Emily has Cierra's proxy, Josh has Paul's.

Cyree is, as ever, our FAC.

Ilana: (here for SJP) Event on Tuesday that was pending for funding- we requested $100 for a teach in on SJP stuff, food mostly, pending because of that week's budgeting. We really want to have the event that day, we have a lot planned for this month/semester. Spoke with K yesterday about getting some funding; ran into problem because only thing that is suitable/available is the main lecture hall, and we'll need sound equipment. we're working to keep that cost down, though it will be more than we requested (probably around $50). Brit: How many will be there? Emily: It says 80. Ilana: hard to predict; first year, around 100 came. it's a teach in, history of the conflict, SJP, where we are- a reaching out measure. Eliana: Would you be willing to cut food costs? Ilana: Would be ideal to have food, but willing to make cuts. Nina suggests that the nature of the program is exciting and interesting enough; cut down on food. Cyree: make room for media services equipment by cutting down on food. Ilana: they're about the same, which would suck... Cyree: yes it would. Ilana: We'll keep the food minimal, talk to media services about keeping it cheap. Cyree: talk to Amnat for more funding? Ilana: good to know!

(Dre Woodbury enters)

Emily: do you want us to look at this request? we're not going to approve more than what's on there. Ilana: if it's $100, it should be enough for both.

Kalei tells Dre we are about to transfer funds to the Hip Hop Collective account- didn't last week.

Kalei explains fund transfers.

EVENT REQUESTS- PENDING VIBE- nov. 11, bearotactyl et al nina: they haven't responded or returned to us about this... kalei: they have! (reads the acoustic show e-mail, is corrected) Okay. Let's see. Rob, are you in VIBE? Rob: sort of. Kalei: you and sam (who is playing the show) need to peace out for this. Josh reminds COCA about Max's date having NO bill, which was cancelled, and moving this show to the empty one's date.

Cyree motions to deny, on the grounds that the signer didn't get back to us. Brit seconds. No blocks. Event denied.

SLAM- Erin jackson/open mic, $400, hampshire alum Kalei: They e-mailed us: Katie Frank sez, "hi, would love to ad $5 for ads! will make magic board happen to! couldn't redo on zoho- is that okay?" I responded, we can do that. So we can!

Discussion of the amount of editing to the price we can do- i.e., add $5 to make it $405, move it around so that $395 goes to her and $5 to ads, etc. Kalei: We have manipulated costs before- certainly to put money into advertising, or out of for that matter.

Eliana: Discussing this as an experiment to see if groups follow our notes still, magic board and all?

Cyree: Precedent for telling signers we don't give them things they didn't ask for. They have to request advertising. It's what we did with the Urban Word. We should give them five, but it should be out of the honorarium, to make a point about next time.

Cyree motions to approve the event for $395 honorarium, $5 for advertising- $400. Emily Seconds. No blocks. Motions passes- event approved.

NATURAL DISASTER- Oregon Trail event Kalei: they got back to us, around 10 times, i responded to them and asked them to meet outside our meetings to streamline the meetings. all 7 of them showed up last night. we pended because we're high on costs that week; they told us because they need warmth to do it, and any later it could be very cold. Earlier, the main character cannot attend. We then talked about the budget- $15 per person for costumes now, it can go down. They can get a tarp from Media Services. What's the total?

Emily: The total is $193.

Kalei: It seems like they're cool with cutting down as much as possible as long as it can happen that day.

Nina: How much are we over that week (18th)?

Eliana: $200 over.

Nina: This is a good event, it should happen.

Eliana: Are we going to cut costs?

Nina: Yes.

Nina motions to approve. Sam Seconds. Cyree blocks: apply to ficom for permanent equipment on costumes to cut down. Nina: That might bog down the event to the point of not working through the bureaucracy. Tell them next time? Cyree: I understand, but this is a bad budgeting strategy to let it get this overblown. Eliana: This is also the week SJP wanted to do their event... (discussion: Natural Disaster's request was an hour earlier than SJP on the same day) Nina: At this point, we wouldn't be helping them have the event by sending them to ficom. Emily: There have been weeks where we've been under, and given the two events Natural Disaster takes precedence (SJP is not as time sensitive). Sam: What are the reduced costs? Kalei: $15 for food, $5 for advertising... General: Cut food! WTF? Kalei reviews list of needs. Cyree notes that a goodwill opened up, which means you can get clothes for nothing. Doesn't want to cut the tarp- but we can! we can get it from media services! But fake guns for $20? they can get that at the dollar store, $5. I feel like this is more ficom's deal, but it's too late for that now. We can't fund them in full, this is not what we're supposed to fund. Eliana: What happens to toy guns? Emily: Should be permanent equipment. Kalei: $5 for ad, $4 insulation, $49 for costume, $5 toy guns, $18 paint. $81. Discussion of funding for the toy guns- realism vs. budget, etc. Cyree mentions that we are over budget and this is again not our scene, equipment like this. Don't want to encourage spending we're not supposed to back. Motion amended to $81 for event. Cyree seconds. No blocks. Motion passes- event approved for $81.

Nikko Chavez-Cartwright enters.

Nikko: Applied for $475 for el salvadorian anti-mining speaker for oct. 26th. cool guy, intimately involved in the struggle. In Solidarity With Immigrants is collabing with a national organization to get him up here, we're getting the rest. Due to miscommunication with a MoHo student, i submitted it a day after the 14 day deadline.

Eliana asks about the breakdown. $400 performer costs- includes travel, other stuff. $75, equipment/food West Lecture Hall, 6:30

Cyree checks bylaws regarding 2 week rule.

Discussion about funding- he's willing to come for basically nothing, but it would be proper and right to get him some money.

Kalei: The bylaw is what we stick to due to its impact on other offices. I strongly suggest you talk to house offices, community advocacy.

SJP event- TEACH IN Eliana: We are $280 over that week. (request is $110.) Josh motions to deny- it's not time sensitive, and we're over budget. Eliana seconds. Emily blocks- we've already asked them to move it. Cut it to $10 for ads? Cyree: They need media services too now. So it's gonna be even more. Let's give them other dates to check it out. Rob: Media services costs- sound guy stuff? if they just need a mic, they can do it themselves. Cyree: No. Nina: I wasn't listening, but media services contacted them and gave them a number. Rob: The way VIBE does it, it's pretty simple to operate a mic with the free PA from MS. Kalei: MS has to tech the MLH. You have to man the booth for that room, which requires a tech guy. Eliana: Regardless of budget, that week is totally packed. Let's use it in November. Nina: Budget, budget, budget. In favor of denial: Josh, Jessica, Kristina, Eliana, Paul, Cyree, Emily, Cierra, Kalei, Martin, Nina, Sam. Opposed: None Abstaining: Brit MOTION PASSES - Event Denied

HH Line up to be declared next meeting.

REGULAR EVENT REQUESTS

Blacksmiths Guild- submitted oct. 7th, it's going to be on the 24th. 11th annual blacksmithing meet.

Discussion of what week Sunday falls in. Too silly to reproduce here. Nina is trying to figure out where Sunday falls as beginning vs. end of week. Josh and Emily think Sunday is the new week.

Emily motions to approve event for $355, cutting food down. Martin seconds. Nina blocks- wants to hear full thing. Emily: Cutting $20 from their total request. Kalei: How much are we spending? Eliana: $80 for SJP that week. Nina rescinds block. Motion passes.

Michael Pisaro - Nov. 16, 100 attending. $600 performer, $10 ads, $150 for security, $300 for flight. Josh: This is backed by Cristoph Cox, this should happen. That week is totally clear. We pended/denied due to lack of a budget outlined. Nina: They came through.

Josh motions to approve. Sam seconds. Kalei blocks "just because". In favor: Josh, Paul, Kristina, Eliana, Cyree, Emily, Cierra, Kalei, Martin, Nina, Sam. Opposed: None. Abstaining: Brit, Jessica. Motion passes for $1060.

GREENHOUSE MOD- 35 people, enfield 36, semester openhouse/pumpkin carving for the greenhouse. $125 food, $5 ad. Oct. 29th. It's on Halloween. Cyree: It's in a mod, and it's on Halloween. Deny. Kalei: They're the greenhouse mod, and there is a precedent for the location and date. Nina: They always do get funded by coca for this? Is the cost for the pumpkin and baking stuff? Discussion: buying pie or making pies?

Nina: Should we fund this out of Halloween? Kalei: If this is this shady- in mod, on halloween, etc.- have them come in to contextualize it? Cyree: Let's not act on precedent if that precedent gets us into trouble.

Kalei motions to pend, asking a rep to come in and talk about. Eliana seconds. No blocks. Motion passes, event pended.

PROJECT NUR- this is week that we are hella over budget, oct. 22nd. International dinner. total, $95. "might need food money too."

Cyree: $75 for 6 table clothes? Kalei: When was this submitted? Sam: 12 days before event. Kalei: They did get pended a lot last year... but oh well.

Josh motions to deny this and the copied one(s) - doesn't meet our criteria. Eliana seconds. No blocks. Motion passes, event denied.

NECROCINEMA- oct. 28th $450 - bring in a director to discus her work, experience, etc. Est. attendance 50.

Cyree motions to approve with all food cut- filmmaker can talk without food. $435. Sam seconded. Eliana blocks- cutting ALL food is a break in our standards, should be discussed. Nina agrees with both Cyree and Eliana- notes that SJP got food when we spoke with them... We could pend it and ask them to cut food? We asked SJP about their budget, lets extend that to Necrocinema. Cyree: I'm okay with cutting the food as an extension of last semester's conversation about cutting down food-oriented events. Kalei: They have also requested an event recently, we denied because they only asked for food money. Martin: Issue of deciding what events need and don't need food, but we should be consistent. Kalei: They didn't show up to a meeting today that they scheduled. Cyree: This colors it for me- they didn't come in, we need to make a call. Martin: There is a motion on the table. Cyree: Stack is closed after Nina. Nina: When did you guys e-mail? Kalei: Were supposed to meet at 5:30, (Reads e-mail). Nina: They came to us, we didn't ask them to come in. They tried to contact us, and made the effort. That's different. In favor- Josh, Jessica, Kristina, Cyree, Emily, Martin, Sam, Paul. Opposed- Kalei, Eliana, Brit. Abstaining- Nina, Emily, Cierra. Motion fails. Nina motions to pend. Eliana seconds. Cyree blocks- if you feel like you're undercut, come back to ask for more. Rob: It's good to deny it- it shows that there's something wrong with it and safeguards the committee from further trouble. In favor- Kalei, Emily, Brit, Nina, Eliana. Opposed- Josh, Martin, Cyree, Kristina, Sam, Paul. Abstaining- Cierra, Jessica. Motion fails. Martin: They can always come back for more. Nina: If they came back in, I wouldn't want to give them money. My problem is about not talking to them first. Cyree: I think a swift decision helps signers. When I was most screwed over, it wasn't denials but decisions I didn't know how to deal with. This way, they have time to come in, and know what's up. It makes them better signers. Brit: I'm with Nina. We're giving some groups special treatment- everyone deserves a chance. Josh: Let's approve it with Cyree's plan and make it very clear in the note how receptive we are to their complaints, IF ANY ARISE. Josh motions to approve for $435. Kristina seconds. No blocks. Motion passes for $435, with a note explaining that if they feel cheated they should come in to talk about it with us.

HAMPSHIRE HALLOWEEN

Kalei: Nora sent posters in today for printing; get council approval for printing? Council approves. Kalei: Brit submitted a poster- have it be part of second wave? Council approves. Kalei: Contracts! All of them are pending, we'll see what pans out tomorrow afternoon. Lots of paperwork to wade through before we can officially approve anyone except for Starscream so far. Didn't get any out last week. Compared to Spring Jam, though, we're killing it. Josh: Yes, compared to our biggest failure, this is not comparatively a disaster.

Kalei: typically, we invite all HC bands to come to a meeting; let's do it out of a meeting and instead have them sign the internal contract during Josh and my office hours.

Josh: Can we recognize the efforts of Chile in rescuing those miners? Kalei: Minors? General chaos.

Cyree motions that we use the remaining 15 minutes to go back to event requests. Brit seconds. Brief block from Martin to squeeze a circus question in. Motion passes.

EVENT REQUESTS

RAICES- extra money? would bring it up around 150-200 bucks, it's already over $2000 Cyree: WTF

Eliana motions to deny, we've been denying mad stuff that week because we're way over budget. Nina seconds. No blocks. Motion passes- extra funding denied, note to suggest they come and talk to us or talk to houses about other sources of money.

Niko's request- it's one day short of the 14 day deadline.

Eliana motions to deny. Jessica seconds. No blocks. Motion passes- event denied.

Greenhouse Mod- denied, not in 14 day deadline.

Cyree motions to deny. Sam seconds. No blocks. Motion passes- event denied.

Kalei discusses more official placement or rotation of committee jobs- calendar, tweeting, etc. Martin suggests we make sure everyone does everything once. Cyree suggests we do it randomly, with dice.

Josh motions to adjourn meeting. Cyree seconds. Meeting over.