COCA November 30th, 2010 Minutes

MEETING 11/30

AGENDA

1)	Minutes 2)	Financial Situation 3)	Event Request 4)	Council Reportback 5)	COCA self eval/general eval 6)	Meetings For Semester 7)	Our Event?

Kalei needs to read out seven e-mails. Possibly less; one is event request related.

IN ATTENDENCE: Kalei, Cierra, Josh, Emily, Sarah, Sam, Jeremy, Eliana, Martin.

VISITING: amd09, ms09.

We are without a ninth member for quorum.

RAICES comes to talk about their event!

Monica: Movie and dinner night at the Cultural Center for SOURCE groups pre-January. Going to cook food, requested food money. Eat and watch a movie! Getting together before a long farewell!

Kalei notes that their budget is superbly specific! Pound by pound, item by item!

Martin: Can anyone show up?

Monica: Sure! It’s FOR SOURCE, but we welcome company!

Emily: Can we tag on some advertising money? $5?

Kalei: We like well-advertised events, and end of semester events are rare.

Nora enters; we have quorum.

Kalei explains meeting process to RAICES visitors, tells them they will have an answer before 9pm.

Jasmine and Ashley enter.

Leanna is also with us! Kalei introduces her as a former COCA chair and the current Community Council chair, listing her considerable achievements. We are overjoyed to see her lovely face!

Leanna: It’s silly that the chair doesn’t attend more standing committee meetings, so I’m here as I have been with other committee meetings to hear from our full council!

Kalei: Thank you, Leanna! Okay- haven’t met in a while. We’re turning to Em for a Financial situation update!

Emily: $7100, which is good! Will take us through this semester and Jan term! I’m comfortable spending money tonight.

Kalei to read the ZOHO; ambitious agenda.

Josh notes that he still has to edit the minute corrections.

EVENT REQUESTS

Kristina enters.

1)	PROJECT NOOR: “Shame”, a film screening in ASH. Pakistani woman enters international eye after her public gang rape, for which she demands justice, is covered by Kristol for the NYT. Speaker coming from Providence, RI, and asking $300. 12/4. Total is $300. CIERRA MOTIONS TO APPROVE. Eliana seconds. Jeremy blocks- advertising money! $5? Cierra amends to $305 to incorporate advertising. No blocks. Motion passes.

2)	THE READER: Micro-art Tavern show, $80 in food. Cierra suggests they add advertising money. Pam requested that money go to CLA as it will be bought via Tavern. Coffee, tea, dessert. 12/2. CIERRA MOTIONS TO APPROVE FOR $85. Eliana seconds. Cierra pauses to note that he separately requested $8 to go through the CLA account. CIERRA MOTIONS TO APPROVE FOR $80. Josh seconds. No blocks. Motion passes.

3)	THE READER: $8 for advertising through the CLA account. CIERRA MOTIONS TO APPROVE. Jeremy seconds. No blocks. Motion passes. 4)	Gin and Tonics end of semester concert in Red Barn, $40 for food, $5 Magic Board, $150 media services. $195 total. Kalei notes that we should keep in mind that while we’re in a spend-happy mood, we should remember that this money can roll over. KALEI MOTIONS TO APPROVE. Jasmine seconds. No blocks. Motion passes.

5)	ALIZ: Hannukah, Monday December 6th, 35 people. Latkes, donuts, dreidel, candles. $105 food, $5 advertising, $10 for menorah/dreidals. They ask: can money go to Spiritual Life account? Conversation about dreidals as permanent equipment. JOSH MOTIONS TO APPROVE. Jeremy seconds. No blocks. Motion passes.

6)	RAICES: December 8th, 40 estimated att., going away dinner/movie party for Source groups (vegan AND vegetarian offerings), broke down ingredients. $210. Sarah notes that it might violate the $3 a head (which would add up to $120). Kalei notes that that is a guideline for us, and we can bend that especially in the context of making sure that this culture gets a chance to make their food their way. CIERRA MOTIONS TO APPROVE FOR $215. Kristina Gunnirsdottir seconds. No blocks. Motion passes.

7)	ISO: 50 est. att., ELH in FPH, a journalist coming in to speak about presumably socialism stuff (“Unite and Fight!”) $250 for performer, $20 for food, no advertisement. $270. Shah is flying in from Chicago. Emily notes it was submitted on the 21st of November; it’s supposed to be tomorrow. We note that advertising has already gone up, and they must have bought the ticket without getting it funded. JOSH MOTIONS TO DENY; 2 WEEK RULES. Jeremy seconds.

Cyree enters!

No blocks. Motion passes.

8)	Hampshire Union of Activists: ELH, FPH. Ethiopian speaker on Mandated Infanticide in tribal cultures. $1,005. December 9th. $1000 for speaker, $5 for advertising. Question is, is the $1000 an honorarium or a donation to this cause? It is decided we cannot make a donation as an events planning group, but would be comfortable with them rewording their request. JOSH MOTIONS TO PEND. Kristina seconds. No blocks. Motion passes.

9)	BHOPLI Film Screening by Max Carlson did not fall into 2 week span. KALEI MOTIONS TO DENY. Sarah seconds. No blocks. Motion passes.

10)	MAGIC DRAFT: January 29th. Worlds Apart games willing to hold a draft on campus for at least 25 paying players at $25 a head, a total of $625. Cyree notes that this sounds FiCom-y. Kristina wonders if we’re basically just buying magic cards for individuals. Cyree asks: off campus? Kalei: On campus. We have a ton of time to work on this- let’s talk to them! KALEI MOTIONS TO PEND. Sarah seconds. No blocks. Motion passes.

Jeremy to facilitate our conversation!

Kalei: Council Reportback! Today, Marlene talked to us about a calendar that compiles all student events- Kalei notes our 6 mediums for spreading information, but, hey- so we’re adding a responsibility to add stuff to the 5 College Calendar, organize fun giveaways and such. Another thing is that Council now allows non-officers to attend meetings! This is great! Spread out power, get experience with the body that oversees us. I want to vote on our representative like any election, preferably tonight for the Spring semester.

Leanna presents on Community Council’s representation and the role of the COCA rep. 22 members, 21 voting 1 ex-officio. 6 at large, 1 source rep, 1 from each of the 4 sub committees, 2 faculty 1 staff. Co-chairs of sub-committees and council chairs should meet more, which does not happen enough- bad connection there. Reps will communicate with council about spending, any controversy, etc., or with questions. Kalei contributes notes about reminding council about meeting times and how beneficial the experience is for community service and stuff.

Cyree: Smarter to have it next week so people can familiarize themselves with the schedule and process? Council is a big commitment, many auxiliary tasks. Rewarding, great experience.

Nora: It was GREAT!

Sarah: When?

Cyree: Tuesdays, 3:30pm to 5pm.

Jeremy suggests people check it out before next week’s Tuesday meeting. Kalei is going to e-mail everyone about this. Faustino has attended.

Cyree recommends to 2nd or 3rd years, familiarity build with time investment of a year or so.

Leanna notes that anyone who wants to make things better should join council; new group examining council might be real opportunity for change.

Leanna’s pet project: BUSES! Bus system survey for each of the 5 Colleges; Hampshire had the most responses. 85% want Hampshire Mall bus. Also only school that allowed non-students (fac, staff, etc.) to vote. Staff weighed in heavily, valuable information for our whole community. As chair of 5 college board, revising bus schedules to provide more useful options and less extraneous buses.

Kalei to e-mail out information.

Kalei: COCA SELF EVALS! I wrote it this year, survey style (THANX GMAIL). She reads it out loud.

Jessica enters. She got a hair cut! It’s a perm!

Megan (mnn09) enters- Fall Feast rep. Happened November 5th. Usually they get money from FiCom or COCA. Leadership change up at Sodexho lead to learning about fund raising goals; inquiring about retroactive funding.

Cyree: We don’t do that.

Megan: Ok! Out of Sodexho’s pocket. I will explain to them.

Kalei: We will explain as well. Rest of semester meetings- due to pended events, we’re meeting 7-8 Thursday to vote on those. Officers were to meet anyways to write Spring Jam budget to present next Tuesday.

Cyree will not be there; day after is final Div III Meeting. Thursday is last meeting.

GENERAL SADNESS. JOSH BANGS TABLE AND CRIES- TO NO AVAIL. CYREE INTENT ON GRADUATION.

Kalei: First meeting of next semester is the 27th. Emily: We spent $923 tonight!

Kalei: Last thing to discuss… our event? Do we want to do it?

General “yes”.

Kalei: Cassie just got back to us yesterday after 2 weeks lapse; cocoa for 200 people (no vegan option from Saga, but she can look into it) less than $200. We have $6,000 left for the semester.

Cyree: There is NO WAY we’re going to spend $6000 by the end of January. COCA caroling! Separate up mod by mod, give out gift basket to mods!

People like this! General excitement!

Cyree: Go through Mixed Nuts, sing all manner of songs.

Sarah: Dorms?

Cyree: Sure!

Cierra: Div III that are graduating this semester- let’s do something for them!

Cyree: WE ARE UNLOOOOOOOOOVED!!!!

Cierra: Coffee, tea, snack table- run around handing out food.

Josh: Proposes Yom Christmas-style fun spending.

Kalei: Last day for paper work is December 13th- so we need to get stuff in before then.

Cyree suggests P-Card.

Emily wonders about 14 day rule for our own events.

Cierra suggests getting purchase order in advance.

Cyree says, let’s discuss the morality of this!

Discussion follows- Kalei talks about the importance of spending for students AT this school DURING this semester- anti-roll-over. Cyree feels that our responsibility is to spending this semester, trumping bylaws because that’s what the money is for- current students. Leanna to play Devil’s Advocate: money for people planning events this semester; just because they didn’t have the initiative to plan their own events, and we hold them to the two week rule, we can’t hijack the money to spend as we please above the bylaws. Josh makes a push to spend it in the interest of budgeting better and acting as the events planning committee. Emily is uncomfortable about spending against the 2 week rules- spending for spending’s sake, etc. Cyree sees this as opportunity to be more flexible with signers, reconsider bylaw limits. Kalei notes that we never request money on the zoho for Halloween or Spring Jam or meeting food- and we didn’t get the HH budget approved until 4 days before- so our checks and balances are already in disarray. Emily notes the Sneaker Ball was on the ZoHo. Sarah: just because we’ve done it before it doesn’t mean we should do it again; I agree with Emily. Also, two weeks is writing week- possibly a Div 3 events? Cyree notes that there is no graduation ceremony for the fall. Leanna contributes that most committees have discretionary funds that don’t go through the process- and if there are ethics concerns it can be taken to Community Council to be settled. Josh notes his reading of the two-week buffer- we are middle men, 2 weeks is for signers to acknowledge/facilitate the process of signer to COCA to business office, we can’t hinder ourselves by sticking to a bureaucratic rule we use to ensure good events and clear flow through the system; that’s not what the rule is for, to hamstring ourselves is not a good use of the SAF. Cyree sees this as an exceptional case to what our role is; events for the community is a redistribution to the people and roll over is not fair or good. We pick up other’s slack to ensure that the SAF is distributed and used.

(JOSH NOTE: JESSICA THREW SOMETHING AT ME. NOT COOL, DOANNES.)

Sarah proposes to utilize funding for a COCA event before the end of a semester. Josh seconds. Kalei blocks to ensure we cover all interests. ALL IN FAVOR: Josh, Nora, Jeremy, Martin, Eliana, Kalei, Jessica, Sam, Cyree, Ashley. ALL OPPOSED: - ABSTAINING: Emily, Kristina, Jasmine, Cierra, Sarah. MOTION PASSES.

Let it be known that the Events Planning Committee has voted to Plan an Event. Ah, the joys of bureaucracy.

Kalei: Would we now like to plan an event? Let’s get a purchase order from Atkins to get holiday-themed candies, then split into 2 teams of 5 to carol on both halves of campus.

Josh clarifies that the halves are Dorms/Prescott and Greenwich/Enfield.

Kalei clarifies that we will be singing and distributing candies and cookies and such. This goes around Sodexho (cocoa plan), making it easier. We can hand out packets of cocoa.

Discussion forms around what this will entail.

Josh suggests we talk about this at the next meeting after brainstorming.

Kalei says we need to set a date or we’re probably not going to do it. Wednesday around 8pm? December 8th?

We agree: COCA CAROLING AT WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 8th at EIGHT PEE EM.

Kalei: Thursday meeting- we’ll discuss budget!

KALEI MOTIONS TO ADJOURN. CIERRA SECONDS. NO BLOCKS. MOTION PASSES.