The Colorado Mesa University (CMU) Radiology club presented Bill 19-14, requesting funds to attend a national conference in the spring during the House of Appropriations Committee (HAC) meeting on Nov. 11.
The club originally asked for $1,569 from SCRF to pay for 20 second year Radiology students to attend a national conference in Las Vegas. The conference is hosted by the Association of Collegiate Educators in Radiologic Technology (ACERT) Feb. 5 to Feb. 7, 2020.
“It’s a great career building opportunity for us. It’s a huge conference with all the people who write our textbooks, so [they’re] like our radiology celebrities that we look up to,” President of Radiology club Lilli McCarty said. “These conferences are a really awesome way to keep us up to date in what’s going on in the field.”
Radiology club asked for help covering the conference registration fees, gas, food and hotel costs for attending the convention. This added up to a total asking price of $2,105.60.
“This bill is a one-time opportunity, while the CNAFME bill is a yearly thing. I think because this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, I am comfortable [with this number],” House Representative Devan DeFreece said.
“After hearing what everyone has said and reviewing it, I just don’t think 2,100 is a good amount. Sixteen [hundred] would be a better ask,” House Representative Salina Edwards said.
Other members of the HAC were not content with the asking price. House Representative and Business Manager at The Criterion Brooklynn Guinto, asked if the radiology club would be comfortable if ACERT conference attendees payed a fee per registration. McCarty said that would be doable.
“I think personally what we should do it try to figure out the math to where we just pay hotels. So we pay $1,569, and then give them the rest for individual contributions. I think that would be pretty fair to be asking. I would like to move to amend the bill so that it says, requested from house $1,569,” House Representative Daniel Haas said.
With no opposition, yays won the vote and Bill 19-14 passed for $1,560 to go from SCRF to the Radiology club.
In other news, after the Associated Student Government (ASG) Senate tabled the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) Bill 19-11 indefinitely, the presenters came back to HAC with a revised presentation.
Bill 19-13 accounted for four less participants at the NAfME clinic/conference. This revised bill asked for $1,080 from SCRF, and HAC agreed on the new asking price. Bill 19-13 passed once again.
Bill 19-15 was presented by the Western Colorado Community College (WCCC) EMT Program. The bill asked for $629.16 to help fund the Winter Warmth Program, where EMT students make care packages for the homeless population in Grand Junction.
Volunteers in the WCCC EMT program set up an ambulance in the Mesa County Mall to raise public awareness for hypothermia among the homeless. The EMT program collected socks, jackets, snow pants, and anything warm to fight against the cold. This event also raised awareness for WCCC’s technical degrees, living a healthier lifestyle, CPR training, and danger prevention for young children.
Without any discussion or disagreement, Bill 19-15 passed for $629.16 to be given to the EMT Program at WCCC.
