Student Senate opened its Feb. 23 meeting with $15,840 in its budget.

The budget has not been depleted as much because there has not been as much of a demand from campus organizations this semester as there was last semester.

Two organizations came to the Senate during the meeting to request funds.

The Student Nurses Association received $668 for travel and lodging expenses for a trip to Jefferson City. The trip provided students with a look at nursing lobbyist at the state level.

Southern Impact also came to the meeting requesting funds to go see a Martin Luther King Jr. memorial site in Atlanta, Ga. The finance club recommended and Senate approved $920 for van rentals and travel insurance.

The History Club was also slated to make a request, but did not show.

The annual Senate Jefferson City trip also came to the forefront of the meeting.

“I’d like to be able to tell you about the trip, but unfortunately we were two senators too short to go,” said Eric Ducommun, Senate president.

Adam Griffin, Senate adviser, said he was disappointed with the turn out.

“We thank the very few senators who made it,” he said. “Congratulations to them.”

Ducommun said he wanted to go on the annual trip.

“I was looking forward to visiting with some of our representatives and legislatures, but instead, I got up at 7 a.m. in the morning and waited on the bus,” he said.

Senators also discussed which organization it will donate funds to for tsunami relief.

Junior senator Jason Hare said the Tsunami Relief Committee backed the Northwest Medical Teams organization because of their record. Hare said less than one percent of the money donated to the organization would go to operations within it.

Senators will continue to discuss the options available to them.

Sophomore Jennifer Harris also brought to Senate an idea discussed by some of her fellow students.

Harris said several students in one of her classes asked her about the academic calendar and what changes could be possible.

Ducommun and Senate secretary Amber Hemphill said it was a matter for University President Julio León, but Senate could discuss it.

“I will be relaying the information,” Harris said.

Griffin said Harris did a good job in bringing the concerns of students to the Senate floor.

Senate will discuss allocations for the National Broadcasting Society, Koinonia and Freshman Orientation during the next meeting on Wednesday.