Late talks with the board of trustees and President Dr. Thomas Fallo regarding safe transportation options prevented some eager Native American Club members from making the trek to one of their most anticipated cultural events of the year.
The Native American Club requested use of a school van, a gas card and their club funds at Monday’s board of trustees meeting to transport 10 students to the Gathering of Nations Pow Wow in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
“I don’t dispute that the trip is a good or a desirable trip,” Fallo said. “However, I was very concerned about the transportation the club requested so I asked that alternatives be researched, such as bus or train transportation to get the students to the event in a safer manner.”
Jeanie Nishime, vice president of student services, and Fallo offered club students a paid round-trip by bus or train to the event, but the students have to depart tomorrow.
“Not only would those alternatives be more expensive than the van and gas card option, but they would limit the time the group spends at the event,” Celso Jaquez, chairperson of the EC Pow Wow and treasurer of the Native American Club said. “The bus or train would get us to Albuquerque, but not to our hotels, so each member would still have to pay for cab fare to the hotel.”
The club had a vote on whether or not club money should be used and how much of it should be allocated for the trip after club rush week this semester, to ensure that new members were in agreement. Then they proceeded with submitting the required documents to the Student Development Office approximately seven weeks ago.
“The trip has been approved by the board the past two years,” Jaquez said.
For organized college trips, clubs and organizations must fill out a calendar date requisition form with the names of the students and advisers attending the trip, dates of the trip, mode of transportation, and location of the trip.
“There is a reasonable expectation that we make sure that the safety and health of all of our students using EC property and the EC name are properly and adequately cared for,” Fallo said. “That is why I question the method of transport.”
In addition, each student must complete a field-trip waiver form in which they consent to receiving medical attention in the event of an emergency and the medical expenses are to be paid for by the individual. All out-of- state event trips must be submitted for board approval, followed by an approval or denial by Fallo.
“Until yesterday, I was not clear with the board’s reasons for not giving approval for the trip,” Emily Rader, history adviser to the Native American Club, said. “If the issues had been raised at the time we first submitted our request, the club would have been able to accept new arrangements.”
Out of the original 10 members who had planned to attend the event, only four have sufficient funds and transportation available to them.
“Usually, there is nothing but joyous anticipation for two weeks before the event,” Jaquez said. “Instead, those feelings have been replaced by sadness, regret and confusion.”
