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The Bethel University Student Council had their first meeting of the spring semester Jan. 13 at 9 p.m. After prayer and roll call the student body president, Paul Cooke, discussed updates to the dance.
The dance which took place inside Goodman Gym on Jan. 17 became a free event. Student council considered having a meal swipe be an entry fee into the dance, but Shawn Holtgren, Bethel’s Student Life Director, suggested the event be free to draw in more students.
“For the budget, some things have come out to be more expensive than we have anticipated,” said Jacob Kersey, the student council treasurer. “We’re estimating the entire cost of the event to come out to around $1500. So, what the executive council is doing is, we’re emptying our entire budget, but that still leaves a $700 gap that we need.”
Kersey proposed a vote to take the remaining $700 out of the discretionary budget. The discretionary budget is used by the student council for unexpected extra costs and emergencies. The proposal passed unanimously in a vote. Cooke said the council members will host a fundraiser to replace the $700 budget gap. $1000 of the dance budget funded the lighting and sound. The remaining $500 covered the costs of the dance instructor, food, decorations and the DJ.
“We could’ve been a little bit more frugal with our spending,” Cooke said. “But this was what was required for us to go through.”
Kersey discussed some of the reasons behind the budget-raise.
“Bethel has a list of authorized and preferred vendors, so we have to go down that list,” Kersey said. “If the first one can’t do it, then we go to the next one. So, we’re not really allowed the luxury of shopping around for the best price.”
The vendors on the list have previously partnered with Bethel and they agree with the school’s interests.
Upperclassman Representative Shelby Moody informed the council about their upcoming carnival event on Jan. 31. She said the upper-class committee is brainstorming ideas for games and buying decorations. So far, the team is spending under budget.
The carnival event is taking place from 7-10 p.m. and will be a free entry for students. Moody said one of the booths at the event will entail throwing pies at professors. Each pie will cost a dollar and all the money will go towards a charity.
Moody also said the upper-class committee is making slow progress on the senior gift. The senior gift is a mural on the windows of the prayer chapel. A local artist will paint the mural for a fee.
“Tomorrow, I’m going to the creator’s house to … pick up colors for the designs and stuff, so that students can vote still,” Moody said.
The underclassmen committee reported they are talking with James Metherd, general manager of Bethel dining services. The committee is planning a luau event and they want to know the costs for food.
More details about the council’s planned events will be released in the coming weeks.
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