The Daily O’Collegian

Senators tabled a recommendation for a 50-cent per credit hour fee for sponsoring Orange Peel from 2008 to 2013 in SGA Senate’s Wednesday meeting.

The recommendation said the fee would be deducted from the regular price of an Orange Peel ticket.

The author of the recommendation, Kyle Ensley, greek senator, said he would accept a friendly amendment to the recommendation, changing the renewal date from 2013 to 2010.

SGA tabled the recommendation until after Orange Slice, Oct. 26, so it could be revised by the SGA Committee.

SGA tabled the bill with a two-thirds majority vote, with 18 senators voting to table the bill, seven senators opposing tabling of the bill and seven senators abstaining.

Josh Neil, 2007 Orange Peel director, said the student fees for Orange Peel would make OSU students the event’s new partner.

The last sponsor Orange Peel had was Clear Channel.

Grady Carter, Orange Peel sponsorship director, said the event is a great asset to OSU and the Stillwater community.

“There’s not much to do in Stillwater, but we just so happen to have the greatest homecoming, the largest donor to college athletics ever and the greatest fully student-run event of all time here at OSU,” Carter said.

Carter said the student fee is the best option to keep Orange Peel alive.

“Students would be paying for an amazing opportunity at this university, and it would be a shame to have to give up this valuable asset,” Carter said.

George Odom, internal affairs chairman, voted to table the bill for further review.

“There’s another program, Orange Slice, which took the initiative to put together a similar event to Orange Peel,” Odom said.

“We want to see how that turns out before we charge students 50 cents per credit hour to revamp Orange Peel.”

The senate granted registered status to the organization Engineers without Borders, which is an organization dedicated to helping communities around the world socially and economically.

The Senate was also busy with bills regarding co-sponsorship of campus organizations.

The Japanese Student Association, Flying Aggies and Society for Black Engineers all benefited from co-sponsorship.

The Japanese Student Association was granted $1,500 for their event, Japanese Night.  The Flying Aggies will use the allocated $1,500 for aircraft rental when it goes to a regional competition in St. Louis, while the Society for Black Engineers will use the $400 given for hotel accommodations at an upcoming regional conference.

Cara Ferrell, from Career Services, gave senators a short speech on the Countdown to Commencement program.

She said the program provides information and resources to graduates as they transition from students to alumni.

Ferrell also said Countdown to Commencement consolidates graduation information into one place for all graduate and undergraduate students.

Next week’s meeting will be Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Case Study 2 of the Student Union.

As always, students are encouraged to attend and voice concerns.  For more information on OSU’s Student Government Association, visit http://www.osusga.com.