New Associated Students Inc. rules may be implemented as soon as fall 2010 as a result of the wakeboard club’s recent request to dispose of their old wakeboard boat and purchase a new one.
“The previous boat, purchased in 2005, had gotten worn down because of misuse by the previous team,” said Sen. Jameson Nyeholt of the College of Liberal Arts. “If a club isn’t using equipment properly, they’re not using funds fairly.”
The previous boat was rendered unusable due to saltwater damage. According to Nyeholt, this damage could have been prevented if the previous team had taken better care of the boat through saltwater sealing and taking necessary precautions to protect the engine and the boat itself.
“Obviously there’s a problem going on about how they’re treating the boat,” Nyeholt said.
It also didn’t last the average life expectancy of a wakeboard boat.
“Realistically, if you add the hours we use the boat, we use more hours in a year than the total hours an average person uses in 20 years,” said Brian Moore, wakeboard club president.
Moore also said more precautions and upkeep are being taken to preserve the life of the new boat.
“I have contracts with two companies,” Moore said. “One comes once a week and cleans the boat. A second company comes once a month and they do a hefty maintenance package.”
The new boat was purchased using $9,000 in fundraising by the wakeboarding club, a $2,900 grant through ASI and approximately $3,000 to $4,000 from Moore.
The grant was intended to be used for competitions and tournaments, which made it difficult for the ASI board of control to agree on allowing the wakeboard club to use it toward the purchase of a new boat.
“Right now we have zero money,” Moore said. “But we will. We are ranked fifth in the nation and we will be going to the Texas tournament because we have sponsors coming in.”
ASI has been working with the wakeboard club for the past 20 years over the purchase of new boats.
“I didn’t want to continue on without any safeguards,” Nyeholt said. “We don’t want to take away from other student organizations. They’re taking a large proportion of funds just because what they do is expensive.”
In an effort to balance the distribution of ASI funds, ASI is working on implementing a leasing policy next year.
“We’ve decided that if there’s a substantial asset, they should be contributing to its replacement,” Nyeholt said. “Items above a certain value will be leased.”
Sailboats, crew shells and wakeboard boats would fall under the category of a substantial asset, Nyeholt said.
According to Nyeholt, if a team wants to use an ASI item next year, they will have to pay every month. This money will be deposited into an account, where it can be withdrawn in the event that said item needs to be replaced.
“It is my belief that that would be a really smart thing to do,” Nyeholt said.
Every item leased through ASI will be checked by an inspector to ensure they are being cared for properly. If the items are not, ASI would have the right to revoke their use of the item.
Nyeholt stressed that this policy would only apply to “substantial assets.” ASI would not start micromanaging every club and organization’s equipment. He described the policy as a compromise between having adequate oversight and leaving clubs to themselves.
“I would have to look at it more,” Moore said, “but I think ASI has the best interest of clubs at heart.”