The Apportionment Board approved all four proposals presented by executive members of the student government at Thursday’s meeting, including one to allocate funds for a Panther Nation fan bus to Nashville, Tenn.

Student Body President Michelle Murphy appealed to the board for an allocation of $1,870 to transport 47 Panther Nation members and a chaperone via bus to Tennessee for the women’s basketball tournament on March 6 and 7.

“This is as raw of a student activity as it gets,” Murphy said.

“This is what this reserve account is set aside for. Eastern always has the highest support at tournaments, more than any other school.”

Murphy’s original proposal of $2,500 for transportation was decreased to $1,870 after she received a lower bid from a bus company in Effingham.

Murphy also intends to implement a fee of $30 per passenger to assist in ticket expenses and a hotel room for two days and one night.

Last year, Eastern’s former student cheering group, Blue Crew-which disbanded upon the formation of Panther Nation-traveled to Tennessee to support the women’s basketball team for approximately $5,000, Murphy said.

Murphy said she believes that the travel opportunity provides an engaging activity that interests sports fans and hopes to continue the tradition of transporting Panther Nation to at least one away game annually.

Prior to Murphy’s presentation, Mark Olendzki, vice president of student affairs, voiced his opposition to the request during audience participation.

“I believe that out of the $10,000 that Panther Nation garnered up until now, not one cent was set aside for this,” Olendzki said.

“I find it very irresponsible that this money is being asked for from the Apportionment Board.”

Murphy said that as a new organization, expenditures for items like merchandise and a card scanner to admit members at games have been expectedly high. She said that some items, like the scanner purchased for this year, would not be a cost to consider in the future.

Despite Olendzki’s address to the board, the proposal passed unanimously and will be presented for a final vote to the student senate next Wednesday, where Murphy expects it to be met with support.

“It helps students and it’s a fun activity,” Murphy said. “I hope student government recognizes that. It’s important to look at this with an open mind, because to not approve it would be a big mistake for student government.”

The board also approved two separate proposals for line-item transfers presented by Eric Wilber, executive vice president. The first was to allocate $1,300 from a scholarship line item to enable the Student Action Team to lobby in Springfield for the timely dispersal of state-appropriated funds to the university.

Wilber said the money will be used for bus transportation and food provided by Panther Catering.

The Student Action Team plans to travel to Springfield on April 21 and is looking into taking another trip sometime during the prior week. Both lobbying dates will be covered under the funds approved by the board, Wilber said.

The proposal passed by a vote of 10-0-1, with one abstention from Pat Lindstrom, the apportionment board adviser.

Wilber also asked for a line item transfer to move funds for non-employee travel to the Illinois Board of Higher Education conference held in Chicago in order to comply with the newly revised Eastern guidelines. The board unanimously approved the transfer.

The last item on the agenda was a proposed by Scott Lambert, vice president for academic affairs, for an allocation of $100 for March and April to pay a student to maintain the student government Web site.

He showed members of the board that the current Web site displays the same information from last year that has not been updated since spring 2009.

“Student government had a pretty nice Web site last year,” Lambert said. “That’s just not happening this year.”

His request was unanimously approved, and Lambert intends to advertise the open position of Webmaster, which will require an interview and portfolio.

Erica Whelan can be reached at 581-7942 or elwhelan@eiu.edu