Senate appoints new SAFAC chair
Starting in early 1994, I worked for my first-ever newspaper, The Northern Student, the student newspaper at Bemidji State University, where I attended and received my bachelor's degree in mass communication. Over three years, I would be a staff writer, news editor, managing editor and editor. I wrote everything from news stories to feature stories to sports stories to opinion pieces. It was the greatest training ground a journalist could ever have, and I am grateful to the many talented people I worked alongside in my years at The NS.
May 3, 1995
By Devlyn Brooks
News Editor
Amidst rejections of two new parking lot proposals, a recommittal to committee for a bill concerning the collection of parking ticket fees and a healthy discussion over the state of the current president-elect of Student Senate, Tim Engrav was quietly appointed 1995-96 chair of the Student Activity Fee Allocation Committee. Senate unanimously approved Engrav, who was President Paul Hetland's appointee.
Engrav is a junior geography major who served two years on SAFAC. This year he served as co-vice chair. Engrav said his responsibilities included chairing meetings whenever current chair Jeff Stinson was not present, and that he was a representative for one of the tougher areas during the budget meetings.
The appointment of the SAFAC chair was made earlier than usual. Hetland said there were two interrelated reasons for the early appointment. First, Hetland said he wanted to try a new approach in nominating the SAFAC chair and committee members. Until now, the chair was nominated late spring quarter and took office during the fall in conjunction with the new Senate president. The chair would then name the committee. Hetland said the committee lost two weeks last fall because it took so much time to appoint members. Also, Hetland said, in the past, the SAFAC committee was inactive after the spring budgets were done. Now SAFAC will gain time during spring quarter in which the committee members can be nominated. Hetland said this change could make for a smoother transition from year to year.
Second, Hetland said he made the nomination early "in light of the presidential problems (Senate) has been having." He said the nomination had to be made early because the chair was necessary in implementing the previously mentioned plan of nominating the other members. "To accomplish this a chair is needed," Hetland said.
"I'm in full support of choosing the committee early," Engrav said. Speaking as a two-year member of the committee, he said the early appointment will help to make the budget process simpler. He also said this would have some SAFAC members remaining at BSU over the summer "in case something comes up."
"I would have full confidence in (Engrav's) abilities," Stinson said. "He has a good knowledge base (about SAFAC), and he will lead by example."
Stinson said he feels SAFAC will encounter a "number of the same issues as this year," including the most important issue of whether to raise the student activity fees cap. Engrav said he agrees with Stinson. The shrinking student enrollment will definitely affect how student fees are spent, Engrav said, and this is where student activity fees cap could become important next year.
"Engrav is certainly more than qualified for the job," Hetland said. "He's had a lot of experience living and breathing SAFAC." Engrav lives with Stinson.
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