The Associated Students of the University of Wyoming Senate held their first regular weekly meeting since Nov. 18 Tuesday at the UW Honors House. 

The senate’s last meeting of the semester included an emergency session to discuss and vote upon the senate approval of the Mandatory Student Fee Increase for the fiscal year 2010. 

The resolution states: “The state of Wyoming executive branch, in conjunction with the office of the president of the University of Wyoming, mandates that all University of Wyoming staff salaries be increased an average of 4 percent for fiscal year 2010.”

It cites this as the primary reason for most of this year’s student fee increase.

Addendum A, the outline of the proposed distribution of the $32.60 fee increase, lists eight major sources for the funds, distinguishing between the requested/proposed fee increase for each organization and the exact numbers of the Mandatory Student Fee Committee’s final recommendation.  

The committee recommended the same numbers as were proposed, except in two instances.  Student Media requested a $3.30 per semester ($0.28 per credit hour for summer) student fee increase for the publication of REACH Magazine, equipment purchases and travel, and the committee’s recommendation was a reduced $2.10 per semester. 

The Student Leadership and Civic Engagement office requested an increase of $1 per semester for expansion of the program, and funding was reduced to $0.50 increase per semester.

ASUW was the largest fee increase recommended, with a $10 increase per student per semester, and a $1 increase for the summer. 

The second largest increase was Student Health, with a $7 per semester, $5.25 per summer increase, with a share of the money being appropriated to the salary of a new full-time psychiatrist who will operate out of the Student Health office. Campus Recreation received approval for a per-student increase of $4.50 per semester and $4 for the summer. Recycling was listed at $4 per student increase. The Student Fee Committee recommended an increase of $3.70 per semester and $1.35 in the summer for allocation to the Wyoming Union.

There were two failed amendments to reduce the SLCE fee request to $0, and alternately to increase the SLCE fee request to the full $1 requested.

When the senate voted on the motion, the increase, as recommended by the Mandatory Student Fee Committee, was approved without any revision with 22 for and 4 against. The right to final review of the fee increase that was approved rests with the Board of Trustees.

The ASUW Mandatory Student Fee Committee, including ASUW Vice President Jonathon McBride and senators Danica Day, Paul Weaver, Rachel Johnston and Liz Rader, authored Senate Resolution 2229.

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The annual Wyoming Union Holiday Market will be held Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the second floor of the union.

Over 70 vendors from Laramie, Centennial and other parts of the Rocky Mountain region will sell unique goods including jewelry, food and photography.

“We try to get a variety of things in so people can get their holiday shopping done, or at least started,” Adrienne Zeller from the union events office said. “Every year we get more shoppers, and hopefully this year will be no different.”

“We push the market toward faculty and staff since it is institutionally supported, but anyone in the whole community is welcome,” Zeller said. President Buchanan has allotted two hours for all faculty and staff to visit the market.

Shoppers have a chance to win one of 55 door prizes donated by the vendors just for showing up. Zeller said that 80 percent of the vendors have donated some sort of prize, so there are a lot to go around.

Brittany Wells, the marketing graduate assistant for the union, said that the market provides excellent opportunities to find unique gifts.

“Some of the products are seasonal, some are just plain interesting, but all of them encourage people to shop locally,” Wells said. “It is a great place to find an unconventional gift, and it’s convenient since it’s right here on campus.”

The bookstore has also teamed up with the Holiday Market to promote their “Author Day” on Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the foyer, Wells said.  Local authors will be available to answer questions and sign books.

“Some of the vendors have their own business, while some of them are just people who make things as a hobby,” Zeller said.  Due to this, some of the vendors will only be equipped to take cash.

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