I am in agreement with Sen. Ben Cavataro concerning the hiring of a consulting firm by Student Government. Why pay $15,500 to outsiders when we have an intelligent and capable student body right here? Student Body Treasurer Maryam Laguna mentioned that non-Gators would have more experience, but why can't SG trust our own students to help in a time of tightening purse strings?
Similarly, how can the students come to trust SG when they allocate large sums of money to extravagances, like hiring a research firm to determine their own needs? Let's get creative. For example, many undergraduate and most graduate students are required to take research courses. It's not beyond the realm of possibility that these professors would utilize a real-world exercise such as this. For free. Not only would it be saving money, it would be a case of students helping students; both in gaining experience, that invaluable currency without which graduates often find themselves jobless, and with evaluating the needs of SG. Can't we find some way to draw from the innovative Gator family?
