Proposed tech purchases elicit concern

The Associated Students of Laney College (ASLC) is going all out to gear up for the fall semester. On Oct. 13, the ASLC met to discuss their budget for their school year, with a large part of the meeting devoted to debate over proposed equipment purchases.
President Jon-Mychal Cox produced several lists of potential purchases, primarily comprised of tech for ASLC use. These included two scanners and two all-in-one printers, together retailing at over $1,600; at least ten laptops and two $999 laptop storage carts, coming to almost $7,500; and two label printers together costing $300.
One proposed set of items on the budget included two flat-screen TV’s and TV carts available for clubs to use, but it was unclear at the meeting whether any of the other resources would be available to students, clubs, or professors.
The budget also included a little over $1,000 worth of shelves, garment racks, and shoe racks. These proposed purchases are part of planned joint initiative between the ASLC and Laney College’s Black Student Union (BSU) to convert the Student Center’s 4th floor into a “Clothing Closet,” where students would be able to donate — and receive for free — lightly used clothes.
The mixed bag of expensive items raised eyebrows in the room, with some ASLC members — most vocally Club Affairs Office Jillian Mosley and Senator Whitney Moa — expressing serious concern. The purchases, in Cox’s estimate, came to a hefty total of $16,674.71, although there was no official, finalized budget available to ASLC members at the meeting.
Cox asserted that the money would come out of the $139,024 available to the ASLC for “Miscellaneous Operational Expenses,” leaving the ASLC with over $120,000 in their coffers for similar purchases. Ultimately, however, the group decided to table discussion of the equipment purchases until an official budget was produced for consideration.
Other initiatives discussed included the upcoming Oct. 15 Movie Night, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., presenting food-related short films; an upcoming ASLC-promoted event focused on bikes; and a proposal to require all clubs to use only “green products” for club activities.
The ASLC also discussed the possibility of having office hours during which their office on the 3rd floor of the Student Center would be open to interested students.
Until then, students can reach out to the ASLC during meetings on Thursdays from noon to 1:00 p.m. in the Student Center’s 4th floor conference room. Members of the public can voice concerns during a portion of each meeting; no students were present or spoke during the Sept. 25 and Oct. 3 meetings.