AFTER BEING STRIPPED of $2,049 last week, the Forensics Club regained access to $1,676 from the AUSA Senate.
Between Oct. 9 and 17, club members managed to raise the club’s membership to 11 undergraduates and one graduate student to prevent the Senate revoking $1,676 made accessible to the club and $373 the Senate believed the club to have spent. The club’s actually spent $354.31, which the Senate will not reimburse because the money was spent when the club was in violation of Senate requirements.
The club’s adviser, Darrin Hicks, came before the Senate Oct. 1 with four of the club’s members. Hicks said he was given 15 minutes notice the night of the Senate’s meeting about the club’s situation. Club members received notice the morning of the meeting.
Hicks has been the club’s adviser since 1993. The Forensics Club is a Senate-funded student organization.
“The club promotes critical debate and discussion on a variety of public issues and promotes training and competition in debate and public speaking activities, both on campus and at universities throughout the United States,” Hicks said.
The club is different from the debate team, which is DU-funded and debates nationally and internationally.
“The Forensics Club has always had an excellent relationship with the Senate,” Hicks said. “We are very grateful for their continued support.”
Stephanie Gerali who is the club’s graduate student member said, “If we violate the rule again, we [will] not have access to the money.”