Miami Hurricane, September 11, 1981

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Volume 58, No.5	Friday, September 11, 1981	Phone 284-4401
Any full-time undergraduate student who has paid the activity fee can get bailed out of jail simply by phoning an SRA commissioner
Hello, Do You Know SRA Upholds Student
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Rights
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USBG Treasurer Discloses Wrong Use Of Funds
By MARK LINDE
Sews Writer
It's ail a matter of money Basically. not enough of it.
This was the conclusion of An-ette Yelin. Undergraduate Student Body Government (USBG) treasurer, in informing the USBG of its financial condition
Yelin disclosed last week that a major portion of USBG s money, approximately $26,000, had been spent on items such as a secretary, tuition stipends, phone bills, and about $2,500 in back bills. The expenditures leave USBG with about $5,000 to spend for the entire year's programming.
During this week’s Senate meeting, Yelin further asserted that almost $3,000 had been spent improperly and without authorization.
Holding two Saga Food Service bills, totaling $1.407, in her hand, Yelin informed the Senate that these represented only a portion of the money that had been spent without authorization.
Among other items are more bills from Saga, totaling about $915. and $610 for plaques and trophies In researching the Senate record for authorizations, Yelin found none The food bills from Saga were in connection with the Student Orientation Service (SOS) functions held for orientation.
When asked about the expenditures, USBG President Bill Mullow-ney told the Senate he did not know anything about them. He further stated that he will "refuse to take responsibility for authorizing the expenditures." Mullowney said he usually knows where all the money is spent before the expenditure is made.
Armando Rodriguez, speaker of the Senate, handed the chair over to President Pro Tempore Aurelio Quinones in order to speake on the matter. “There is no communication in the executive office," he said, blasting Yelin for not talking with him prior to the Senate meeting.
Rodriguez, pointing to his fellow members in the Senate said, “I challenge you all to look into the books." He emphasized that no USBG money was used for SOS functions.
Joseph Pineda, director of Student Activities, said that there
"were problems with the budget in the past," and that he will ask Saga if the disputed bills were from last year's orientation or from this fall's. Last year's SOS budget, Pineda said, was tied in with the USBG budget, whereas this year's was not. Pineda pointed out that anyone making unauthorized expenditures should end up paying for the item himself.
In other recent Senate action, members of the Executive Cabinet were approved by the Senate. The following people were confirmed for cabinet positions: Colin Gabay, public safety secretary: Michelle Carrol, executive editor of U.I.S.; Richard Lawrence, academic affairs secretary; Paul Satty, public relations secretary; Jeri Goldberg, student services secretary; Lisa Marion, special events secretary; Jeri-Ivn Gray, managing editor of U.I.S.; Chris Coffman, attorney general; and Al Llpay. university affairs secretary
To fill vacancies, new Senators were sworn in by Rodriguez at the first meeting of the year: Mary Ostrovsky. Panhellenic senator; Joost de Quack. International House senator; Kevin Morris, United Black Students senator; Erie Lieberman. Honors senator, and Carlos Llor-rente, Federation of Cuban Students senator. Seven remaining vacancies cannot be filled until the elections committee is appointed.
USBG President Bill Mullowney discussed a Board of Trustees meeting he recently attended. The Board. Mullowney said, is presently working on a University budget that reflects the shortfall of students for the 1981-1982 academic year.
Mullowney told the USBG Senate that UM President Edward Thad-deus Foote II will reorganize the administration in the near future and will be investigating recruiting violations by different athletic teams
Mullowney also noted that work will soon begin on a tuition report designed to make student representatives more alert to impending increases in tuition and to what they can do about them as an organization
The next Senate meeting will be Wednesday. Sept 16 at 4 pm in the Flamingo Ballroom.
By JEAN CLAUDE de la FRANCE
Head News Writer
Rumor has it that the "Do you know me?” American Express ad campaign was the brain child of an SRA chairman.
Do you know them?
There you go.
The University of Miami’s Student Rights Agency, which started 12 years ago, is alive and well.
Born at the height of student unrest In 1969 to help students who got into trouble, the agenc^ is now known to the unlucky faw who need its help.
Picture this;
Two years ago, a freshman wanting to get involved in school activities saw a sign at a recruiting table in the Student Union which read USBG (Undergraduate Student Body Government). She signed up. However, the sign was left on that SRA table by accident — SRA is not even under USBG’s jurisdiction — so she unwittingly became a member of SRA.
Today Stacy Lipner, the chairperson of SRA, heads a group of 10 commissioners and is responsible for everything that goes on within her office.
The agency has changed to accommodate changing student needs over the years, but Lipner says the biggest news about SRA is that it is expanding and trying to reach more people in the campus community.
One of the most important services provided by the agency is a bailbonds service, one of only seven such services provided nationwide by school agencies.
Any full-time undergraduate student who has paid the activity fee can get bailed out of jail by simply phoning an SRA commissioner.
"We do not go out on calls. We are pretty much the go-between for students," Lipner said.
Lipner described the process: Usually a friend or roommate of the jailed person calls SRA's 24-hour answering service. The service then beeps Lipner or another commissioner and within minutes she is in contact with the friend.
"He then tells me.” Lipner said, “that his roommate was put in jail and charged with, say possession of an illegal substance.
“I ask him what jail the victim is in. Meanwhile, 1 look for his name and ID number on a printout sheet ¡to see if he is eligible for help.]"
The dialogue with the jailer, Lipner said, is generally along these lines:
“ ‘I am Stacy Lipner, with the University of Miami Student Rights Ageiicy. I understand you have one of our students in jail.’
•• i “ ’Yeah.’.
’“ ‘Has he been charged already?’
'••‘Yeah.’
.“ ‘All right. Have his papers ready, make sure the charges are correct, he will be bailed out within 'the hour.' ”
Lipner' then calls Chernenko' Bonding Inc., and someone goes down and bails the student out. Students are required to pay 10 percent of the bail within a specified amount of time.
They do not have to pay anything at the time of release. “We serve as their collateral," Lipner said.
SRA — which is funded by 55 cents of each student's activity fee — can bail out students arrested on a single charge for as much as $2,100. or up to $2,750 for those '■jailed on multiple charges.
If students do not repay the money, their records are withheld until they do so, Lipner said.
Some students mistakenly believe that the SRA only protects them from abuse by the University administration, Lipner said.
In fact, according to Lipner, that is one very small part of what SRA does.
She cited other SRA programs:
• The SRA is now promoting a voter registration drive.
“The laws made in Coral Gables affect the way we live at the University," she said. "By voting, then we too can have an impact on the laws that are passed."
In addition."People do not realize that — if they are put into jail for a misdemeanqr — with a voter’s registration card from Dade County
and one dollar and four cents they can be released on their own recognizance.
“That would save them — and us a lot of time."
•	From Oct. 12-16, SRA wilt be sponsoring a "Student Crime Awareness Week."
•	In three weeks, SRA will kick off a lecture series with the help of the Florida Bar Assocciation (FBA), which will be open to all students.
The F'BA will send people to speak students on various legal topics which are of interest to students. Subjects will range from alimony laws to tenant-landlord conflicts.
•	Students and people from the community call the SRA constantly seeking advice
“We are not lawyers, so we are not allowed to give legal advice, but sometimes they just need someone to talk to, so we refer them to our lawyers," Lipner said.
•	A Tel-Consumer. Tel-Med, and Tel-Law tape service to answer questions asked most frequently by students is to be made available towards the end of this semester. Also, a brochure to familiarize the students with SRA and its functions is due soon.
SRA commissioners are screened by a committee composed of the president of the USBG Senate, the vice president of the USBG. and other commissioners.
The 11 commissioners, including the chairperson, serve until graduation, resignation, or removal from office. They need at least a 2.0 grade-point-average to join.
Aside from the commissioners, any student who wants to work with SRA may join.
“We need the input of everyone." Lipner said.
Anyone interested in working the SRA should call X2953 or come by Room S244 of the Student Union. Anyone interested in getting out of jail should call X6626.
Hurricane News Writer Elliot Chris topher Skqetc contributed to this story. *