FUSG allocates funds for bioethicist’s lecture

ELISHA VALLADARES-CORMIER
CATHOLIC VALUES COLUMNIST

Franciscan University Student Government allocated more than $2,000 to Students for Life on Wednesday to fund a renowned bioethicist’s talk hosted by the club. 

Spring Bill #9 reallocated $1,050 from stipends designated for SFL leaders, and an additional $1,118 was allocated in Spring Bill #10 in order to cover costs related to the visit and lecture by the Rev. Tadeusz Pacholczyk, director of education at The National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia. 

Club president Kyle Taggart said Pacholczyk’s lecture will focus on in vitro fertilization. 

“We (at SFL) want to expand the life issues discussion outside of the single issue of abortion, which we focus on 99 percent of the time,” Taggart said. 

Taggart said the club is planning for 50-100 attendees but hopes a larger crowd will attend. The bill was passed unanimously.  

Wednesday was also the first meeting for Student Government’s newest senators, who had been chosen during an in-house election on Monday. The new senators are: Clement Harrold, junior; Kierra Burns, sophomore; Maria Gontis, sophomore; Emmanuel Gessler, freshman; Bridget Whoriskey, freshman; and Matthew Hennig, freshman. 

Also during the meeting: 

  • Spring Bill #11 reallocated $450 of Young American for Freedom’s speaker funds to help pay for the club’s attendance at the Conservative Political Action Conference. 
  • Spring Bill #8 reallocated $200 from SFL’s office supplies budget to pay for merchandise promoting the club’s diaper drive. 
  • Spring Bill #12 reallocated $33.45 to Sebastian Kohler, president of the Board Game Association, for pizza Kohler purchased for the club with his own money. 
  • Sen. Caitlin Head was elected by the Senate to serve as majority leader. 
  • Sens. Paul Nick and Gessler, along with Justice Ellie McCarty, were absent from the meeting. Only Nick’s absence was unexcused. 

All bills were approved unanimously. 

Student Government will next meet Feb. 12 at 11 a.m. in the St. Leo Room.