Working with a brief agenda Wednesday night, Duke Student Government senators unanimously passed several minor budgetary measures and endorsed the Taxi on Demand service.
The Senate formally supported the taxi service to give it “higher standing and recognition in the Duke community,” the resolution reads.
Sophomore Chris Brown, vice president for athletics and campus services, spoke in detail regarding the prepaid taxi cards.
“It’s meant to fill the need for students needing to be picked up off campus or generally get from point A to point B,” Brown said.
The cards will be accepted by taxis accepting Discover cards nationwide and will function similar to regular debit cards. Taxi on Demand cards, however, must be replaced once the credit is depleted.
Durham’s Best was identified as the best service to use with the cards during the summer when all local taxi companies were tested, Brown said. The service will not cost the University anything, and Duke Parking and Transportation Services supports the initiative, according to the resolution.
Kesemania, a fund-raising event that also recruits counselors for Camp Kesem, was allocated about $3,700. The money for the Oct. 29 event will go toward inflatables, food and advertising, among other expenses. This year’s activities include a dunk tank, a pumpkin carving event and a raffle.
Money raised at Kesemania will help fund Camp Kesem, a student-run camp for children with parents who have battled cancer.
Senators also voted to reallocate the DSG presidential stipend—the last budget allocation of the meeting. The $2,000 stipend is given to DSG presidents on financial aid. The stipend was absent in this year’s budget because of a miscommunication between last year’s DSG executive board and the Student Organization Finance Committee, according to the resolution.
Last December, senators debated eliminating the presidential stipend entirely because the money could be used to fund other programs. The movement failed in the Senate, however.
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