SU Treasury’s third session of Spring 2023

JAMES ELLINGHAUS SENIOR NEWS EDITOR

Student Union Treasury approved all of this week’s appeals in their latest session, Jan. 31.

Leaders in Interpersonal Violence Education (LIVE), a group that, according to their website, “hopes to empower all members of [the WashU] community to take a stand against sexual violence,” asked Treasury for $16,500 to fund a visit from U.S. gymnast Maggie Nichols. Nichols was one of the many sexual assault survivors of Larry Nassar, a former sports doctor. To protect her identity, Nichols was referred to as “Athlete A” during Nassar’s investigation. She now speaks out against abuse and shares her story.

Breaking down the cost, $14,500 would be paid to Nichols as an honorarium for speaking at WashU, while $2,000 would be allocated towards her travel and hospitality expenses.

LIVE anticipates at least three hundred people to attend, based on the size of the Zoom audience at the group’s 2021 speaker event with Aly Raisman, another U.S. gymnast and victim of Larry Nassar.

Treasurer Christine Ling contested the $2,000 travel and other expenses fee, asking LIVE why they did not try to negotiate a lower amount with the help of a liaison. LIVE noted that Nichols requested first-class travel, which brought the cost up. Treasurer Sadie Karp, however, added that speakers have “different standards and different prices,” and she thinks that the event is worth the cost.

Another treasurer, Hieran Andeberhan, encouraged LIVE to choose more diverse speakers in the future, as both Nichols and Raisman are white female gymnasts.

“Sexual assault affects everyone,” Andeberhan said. “Just limiting [LIVE’s speakers] to athletes and white women is going to limit the scope of people who feel [that the events] speak to them.”

The motion to fund Nichols’ visit was passed, with a large majority of Treasurers favoring the appeal.

Several athletic club teams made appeals to Treasury this week.

The Run Club asked to bring 28 runners to Chicago for the Shamrock Shuffle, an annual race on St. Patrick’s Day. Accounting for hotel rooms, Amtrak tickets, and race registration fees, the trip would cost $4,866.89 in total. After a brief deliberation period, Treasury approved the appeal.

WashU’s Rock Climbing Club asked to take 16 climbers to the Horseshoe Canyon Ranch in Arkansas. The group plans to drive to their destination, so expenses would include a gas fee in addition to fees for housing and climbing passes. The total proposed cost was $1,090.80.

Women’s Ultimate Frisbee appealed for $2,640 to get 40 of their members each a U.S.A. Ultimate (USAU) membership, which grants the players access to tournaments. Each USAU membership costs $68.

Club Swim’s appeal generated heightened debate among the Treasury. The team asked to bring 27 swimmers to their league’s national conference at Ohio State University (OSU). A total cost of $15,623.42 was recommended for the trip, including hotel rooms, Enterprise car rentals, food and Uber expenses, as well as flights.

Karp asked why the group needed to fly to OSU when it is within a 500-mile radius from WashU. The group cited Campus Life’s rule against driving late at night as a reason for flying.

Also, Treasurer Leslie