Missing information and absent directors caused a halt in the Fine Arts bill progression to student senate.
During a privilege fee review meeting, entities present past and estimated future budgets to the committee, as well as ask for a continuance or increase to their funding. The committee then determines the best course of action to benefit Kansas State Students.
The Fine Arts presentation, though well-presented, Joshua Diazdeleon, college of education caucus leader and junior in elementary education, said, had missing information that could lead to second thoughts on some entity decreases.
“The presentation that was given to you was not a bad presentation,” Diazdeleon said. “They gave you numbers, they gave you information, but where I’m coming from now is I don’t think all the presentation was given to you, or not all the information was presented to you … more specifically regarding bands, choir and orchestra.”
To better represent the state of operations for Music, Theater and Dance, the committee merged the line items “music department — choral and opera” and “music department – band and orchestra” into one line item: “music department.”
The committee gave the allocation a proposed 35 percent decrease, giving it $43,225 in each of the next three fiscal years.
However, Diazdeleon said bands, orchestra and choir are three very different organizations as far as expenses, functions and required materials. He recommended the three be separated in the bill to reflect those differences.
“One recommendation … is looking to separating those three — the music department — up into band, choir, vocal and orchestra; vocal and choir being the same thing — how the structure is there within the School of Music, Theater and Dance,” Diazdeleon said. “There were three directors that basically weren’t well represented within that last presentation. For whatever reason why they were not included in that, I couldn’t tell you for sure.”
Blake Phillips, committee vice chair and sophomore in management information systems, said taking an extra week to look through and hear more about the missing information from the underrepresented directors would not be a bad thing.
“I know at senate last week as well, there were lots of different questions about this and so I think taking an extra week to really deep-dive into this — like Josh mentioned looking at splitting up that music department — could be really beneficial as well as if the directors were to bring new information to light,” Phillips said.
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Student senate amends legislation, discusses decrease to Fine Arts privilege fee allocation
Diazdeleon provided some topics of items that presenters should have mentioned in the presentation.
“I know the [university] bands specifically are struggling in a sense that, not only do they have to pay to use McCain auditorium — the only Big 12 school that has to pay to use their auditorium — they also had to cut two graduate students from their students’ staff that actually helps the bands function,” Diazdeleon said. “Along with just a plethora of other things, such as not being able to afford tuning the pianos in the practice rooms for students to practice … along with a storage for music, rights to buying music, all sorts of expenses like that that I don’t think were presented this last time around.”
Phillips recommended the bill be held in committee for an additional week.
“[There is] still lots of information that I think could be helpful, could potentially change some opinions,” Phillips said. “With the amount of money that we’re taking away from these entities, I think it’s really important to make sure that all the voices are in the room that need to be and that we’re really sure that these decisions are being made in the best interest of students.”
The motion to hold the bill with the Privilege Fee Committee for another week passed unanimously.
The Privilege Fee Committee meets at 5:30 p.m. Mar. 8 in Wildcat Chamber.
