The Services and Activities Committee (S&A) held its first meeting of spring quarter on March 31 and discussions regarding funding for the Wellness Center, the music department and the Wildcat Neighborhood Farm were held.

In the meeting, it was shared that Lacy Lampkins, the student funds financial manager, and Joey Bryant, the committee’s advisor, presented the budget recommendation, which was deliberated on prior to spring break, to the President’s Budget Advisory Committee (PBAC). PBAC will vote and conclude on the recommendation on April 13, according to Lampkins.

The first order of new business presented during the meeting dealt with funding for a P.A.T.H. advocate. P.A.T.H. stands for prevention, advocacy, training and healing and provides a variety of services, some of which are confidential, for students who have experienced sexual harassment, stalking, dating violence or sexual assault.

Director of Wellness Center Marissa Howat spoke to the S&A Committee about reclaiming funding of $82,343 for a full-time P.A.T.H. advocate position. The funding would cover for a little over a year. Howat has taken on the position since it opened 10 months ago.

The second order of new business came from Director of Orchestras Nikolas Caoile. The music department requested to carry over unused funds of $105,628.15 from previously approved quadrennium-based funding. The funds were previously designated to an invitation to perform at The Midwest Clinic in Chicago in Dec. 2020.

“The Midwest Clinic is considered the pinnacle for recognition of a student ensemble at the international level,” Caoile said in the meeting.

The clinic is now happening Dec. 2021 in Chicago and the CWU symphony orchestra has been invited.

Seidy Morales, orchestra senator for the National Association for Music Education, spoke during the public comment section of the meeting following the new business about potentially not being able to attend The Midwest Clinic.

“It would truly just be a crime to our education to deprive us of this experience and honor that we have worked every hard for,” Morales said.

They would become the seventh collegiate orchestra to ever perform at The Midwest Clinic since the clinic began in 1946.

Multiple other music major students spoke during the public comment section promoting the opportunity to attend The Midwest Clinic.

The third order of new business dealt with the Wildcat Neighborhood Farm. Farm and Sustainability Manager Kate Doughty requested to carry over up to $24,000 to be able to expand the services the farm offers. This includes being able to “build out the seed library, provide more transplants for our garden participants as well as respond to any access needs that come from our garden participants,” Doughty said.

The S&A Committee will meet again on Wednesday, April 7 at 5:30 p.m.