Associated Students, Inc. voted at their Mar. 20 meeting to place a measure on the April ballot that, if passed, will pump approximately $ 300,000 into Sac State?s Marching Band, Xtreme Dance Team, and Cheer Squad.

The money for the spirit groups will be derived from an increase in student fees. If the measure passes, an extra $ 5 will be added to the current $ 107 ASI fee.

Prior to the board?s vote, members of the cheer squad and marching band spoke in support of the measure during the board?s open forum.

“There are people here who have made a big commitment to their organizations. We spend a lot of time doing what we love to do and there is no compensation for what we do,” said Tim Decker, president of the marching band. “It?s time the school made a commitment to the band.”

The three spirit groups currently get money from Instructionally Related Activity grants.

Marching band director Jeff Edom informed the board that the band has been receiving IRA funding since 1980.

ASI President Artemio Pimentel told the board he would support this referendum.

“We want students to look and learn outside the classroom and we also want students to support each other and make decisions,” Pimentel said.

ASI Executive Vice President Eric Guerra agreed with Pimentel.”We are in full support of education outside the classroom,” Guerra said.

While most of the board supported putting the measure to a student vote this month, Director of Post Baccalaureate Mohamed Hamada did not.

“I have a problem pushing this to the students,” Hamada said.

“The board just opposed a tuition hike a few weeks ago, and now we are asking students for more money.”

Hamada said ASI should support extra curricular activities but that cultural and club activities also deserve funding. He noted that the referendum legislation did not mention how long the spirit groups would receive student fee money.

And, as approximately 50 members of the band, dance team and cheer squad looked on, he saw a political angle to the measure.

“Since it is election time, I don?t think anyone wants to shoot the marching band down,” Hamada said in an interview with The State Hornet.

The motion passed, with Hamada the lone dissenting vote, and the audience broke into applause.

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