ASMSU, MSU’s undergraduate student government, spent more than $12,000 on new fixings for the organization’s offices and some students believe the organization is using student-generated funds irresponsibly. Is ASMSU justified in using this much money to buy new chairs and carpet, or is this a blatant mishandling of student money? It looks questionable whenever a student organization uses thousands of student-funded dollars, but the issue isn’t always so black-and-white.
First, not all of the money is going toward furniture — ASMSU’s offices in the Student Services Building had asbestos, and much of the $12,443.36 for this project went toward asbestos abatement. They replaced the carpet because the old carpet had rotting material under it and was being held together with duct tape in some places.
As for the furniture, most of the replaced chairs, desks and storage cabinets were more than 30 years old, and officials thought it would be convenient to replace the old furniture while they did work on the asbestos and carpet problem. ASMSU had to choose furniture from companies MSU had already approved, and the group chose the cheapest products they could, Student Assembly Chairperson Mike Leahy said.
Sometimes office maintenance is necessary, and all the money ASMSU receives is from student taxes. Therefore, the organization will have to use student money for personal expenses here and there.
With a number of new student representatives joining ASMSU, some people had to sit on the floor during large gatherings. The old furniture was in such disrepair Student Assembly representative Jake Zheng thought it was embarrassing — especially since ASMSU uses the offices to conduct business with donors, officials and others.
Students may not agree with every decision ASMSU makes, but no one wants their student representation to appear ramshackled and beggarly to the outside world. The previously used furniture was decades old, and if the group only needs to purchase updated material every 30 years they’re clearly doing a good job of living within their means.
Clearly maintenance is necessary to keep organizations professional and safe. ASMSU offered transparency throughout these big-ticket purchases, which assured the group’s credibility during the action. Students need to keep a careful eye on how their money is being spent to hold groups accountable, but those groups need to make such information easily available.
Openness about spending should be the rule for all groups and individuals across campus, especially those supported by student taxes.
ASMSU spent a lot of money to update its offices and meeting rooms, and that’s fine. However, this should be a permanent solution to the asbestos and carpet problems, and ASMSU should not spend this much money on personal improvements for a long time. After this, student tax money should be spent in a way that benefits as many students as possible.
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