Washburn Student Government Association senators had a meeting Wednesday, March 27. The day’s main topic was the Allocations Committee meeting where WSGA senators decide favorable or unfavorable status from a presentation that includes a funding request, information about your event or organization and the club’s fundraising and community service completed in the past 12 months of the funding request by a representative from the organization. The representative must show up before 15 days of the event. The requirement of the WSGA funding is that the funding can be used for on campus events by filling out a funding request form and spending breakdown. 

Next on the agenda was the WUmbrella project. Kenyon Grant requests funding for the WUmbrella proposal. The proposal is from Grant and Mike Russell and it was composed of two arguments. First, the majority of students don’t have an umbrella so the students without an umbrella get sick and then miss class which affects grade point averages. The second was to help the students dry off to focus on student life.

You can borrow an umbrella from seven locations including Washburn Village, Morgan Hall, Mabee library, Lincoln Hall, Living Learning Center, Kuehne/West hall and the Memorial Union. The umbrella can be checked out for free with an i-card. Campus visitors will also be able to borrow umbrellas.

The next step was to discuss two options for buying the umbrellas by going through the Ichabod Shop, which are $26 each or outside manufacture for $10.84 each. Storage bins for the umbrellas can be purchased at Walmart for $36.82 each. The project plan is to buy 168 umbrellas.

“If we purchase the umbrellas through the Ichabod Shop it will be $4,068, but if we buy from an outside manufacturer, the cost will be $1,854.69,“ Grant said.

They talked with Director of Residential Living Mindy Rendon, who offered her perspective.

“I was going to speak with each residential front desk and we are already making space for the WUmbrella project,” Rendon said.

The umbrella check in and out policy includes that the umbrella checks out by having people use their name, Washburn ID, student email/phone number and adding it to the registry. An individual can rent the umbrella for up to 48 hours. If the umbrella does not return by the end of the week for any reason or if the umbrella gets broken or damaged, the student must pay for the umbrella and the umbrella must return to the original location.

A senator mentioned that the campus is small and asked if they think the WUmbrella project is necessary to have. 

“Yes, the locations are near each other, and while students checking in umbrellas could be unnecessary,” Grant said. “From my personal experience, I took the Topeka metro and when I got off, I forgot an umbrella and went to class wet. This is where my idea came from.”

By vote the senators decided on an umbrella bill plan that includes buying from an outside manufacturer.