Student Senate met on Wednesday, Oct. 21, hoping to finish the budget approvals that they began the week before. The first budget reviewed -- that of Chimes -- proved to be the most controversial and time-consuming.

Present at the meeting was Chimes' editor Steve VanTill, who found himself confronted with various criticisms from Senators concerning Chimes' request for new camera equipment. Various senators, in light of the fact that Dialogue and Prism could also benefit from the new equipment requested by Chimes, suggested that it would be to everyone's advantage if the three organizations would work together in buying equipment. Acting on this idea, the Senate passed a motion placing $770 (the amount requested by Chimes for its camera equipment) in contingency.

Further debate followed as Senate voiced some misgiving concerning Chimes' policy of review compensation, which refers to Chimes' policy of allowing its reviewers to keep the books or records which they have received.

VanTill argued that reviewers work hard on their articles and deserve some form of payment for their efforts; he also noted that without this inducement, it would be difficult to find people to write reviews. Senators rejected this argument, citing the fact that many students -- senators among them -- work hard but receive no form of compensation. They went on to cut $300 from the Chimes' budget with that recommendation that this cut be taken from the review allotment.

Senate then moved on to its consideration of other budgets, easily approving such budgets as those for WCAL, the Calvin Lecture Council, and the Film Arts Committee.

At its next meeting on Nov. 11, Senate will review the budgets of the five Calvin guilds, as they ruled out the guilds' proposed budgets this week on the grounds that all five had been improperly submitted.

In a conversation with Presdient Scott Melby before the meeting, Melby told chimes of his plans to reject the budgets.

He based his decision on several different points--including the precedent set at last week's meeting in rejecting the improperly submitted budget of the Chapel committee and on various conversations he had with school administrators.