RHA sends wake-up call to ASG

Letter criticizes $2,000 for cabinet dinners, gifts

By Ceili Doyle, Senior Staff Writer

The members of Miami University's Residence Hall Association assembled around a collection of tables in the cordoned-off section of a packed Pavilion A in Armstrong Student Center for their weekly meeting on Monday, Nov. 14.

This meeting was to be slightly more impactful than previous sessions. Enthusiastic chatter came to an abrupt halt when sophomore Bradley Davis, vice president of RHA, quieted the representatives while passing out a letter he had written to the Associated Student Government.

RHA voted 28-1-0 to send the letter to ASG outlining their concerns regarding ASG's internal operating budget and how it represents their core values as a student government.

Dozens of students have complained to their RHA representatives throughout the past month about the lack of transparency ASG has demonstrated in how their budget is allocated.

"The inspiration behind this letter was all of the concern from students who were either involved in ASG or knew people in ASG," Davis said. "It also stemmed from the lack of public understanding of their budget and the personal incentives behind it.

"Our letter was trying to address the idea that we think an organization's values lie in its budget."

One line item that struck a chord with many students was the amount of money ASG's executive cabinet initially set aside for personal perks during the 2016-2017 school year. Within their budget, $980 is built into "Cabinet Gifts" while $1,100 is budgeted for "Cabinet Dinners," The Miami Student reported in late October.

This particular agenda raised eyebrows throughout campus and was mentioned specifically within RHA's letter.

The letter highlighted the comparison ASG made between its Cabinet Dinners and pizza parties that other student organizations might hold. They noted that the comparison was out of hand because the dinners were being extended to all 64 members of ASG and broke down to $17 per person -- equating to two medium pizzas each.

ASG has responded to the criticism by distributing the money that was originally assigned to Cabinet Gifts and Dinners to donating benches across campus at the request of disabled students.

Enjoy what you're reading?
Signup for our newsletter

"The point of the budget was an effort for ASG to be transparent. This was again, a budget, not a balance sheet," said senior Amy Berg, secretary for communications for ASG. "What was presented to Senate months ago was a projection of spending based on what the position had spent as well as per request by each cabinet member. Each cabinet member had the equal opportunity to request funding based on their own goals and initiatives."

Throughout this past semester ASG and RHA have been collaborating with one another to push the student body's interests, which was showcased in their combined efforts (via an RHA survey and ASG petition) to give students an al la carte option back in Bell Tower.

"It has always been an effort for ASG and RHA to work together," Berg said. "We welcome feedback and for students to express their concerns. ASG and RHA have the same goal: to serve the students. That is a goal we will continue to work towards every day."

Davis had no ulterior motive to deface or degrade ASG; his driving force in writing this letter was to express his and his constituents' unease regarding the various line items within ASG's budget.

"We are coming from a position of guidance and recommendations, it's not meant to criticize or call them out or anything," Davis said. "As another legislative, student organization we wanted to give our input and our thoughts based off of the opinions we were hearing."

RHA President Zach Roebel believes that the letter will help offer advice and make Miami a more transparent institution.

"In the end we all came to the general consensus that we're just trying to make the university the best place we possibly can," Roebel said. "It's better to work together and help each other out than trying to put another organization down."