For the first time in nearly four years, the Government of the Student Body supreme court rolled up its sleeves Thursday to hear the case of Reyes-Alamo and Combas v. the Puerto Rican Student Association.

As members of the association, Jose Reyes-Alamo, graduate student in computer science, and Jean Combas, freshman in computer engineering, along with what they called “a number of other members,” have had an underlying conflict with the executive board of the organization dating back to as early as November 2006.

Reyes-Alamo made it clear Thursday that the issues being brought forward were concerning the standing of members within the organization, not on financial disputes, a topic that come up later in the trial.

“The reason we’re initiating this trial is to settle the differences between the two parties,” Reyes-Alamo said.

Despite a lack of initial commitment to addressing financial issues, the appellants addressed a sum of money that was used to bring a Puerto Rican speaker, Noche Puetorriguena, to Iowa State to speak to the association on Puerto Rican night in correlation with Latino Heritage Month.

According to an organization budget supplied by treasurer Laura Centeno-Diaz, graduate student in curriculum and instruction, $416.94 was allocated to purchase a plane ticket to fly Puetorriguena, a radio disc jockey from Puerto Rico, to the United States and in turn, Ames.

With a title of disc jockey, the question of relevance was an issue in regards to Puetorriguena’s travels to Iowa State. In response, organization president Karla Martinez Silverio, senior in pre-journalism and mass communication, said the underlying issue was in the motivation of Puerto Rican students.

“If we bring someone from our own country [Puerto Rico] it will help draw interest from Puerto Rican students,” Martinez Silverio said.

While their argument was sensible in meaning, the financial aspect of their reasoning was, to say the least, speculative.

Currently, the organization’s budget will result in a negative balance after all costs for Puerto Rican Night are withdrawn and put to use – a sum that chief justice John Gish, junior in political science, and his fellow justices estimated at nearly $1,500. To cover this cost, Centeno-Diaz and Martinez Silvero have applied for a loan that, even if granted, will give the organization a balance at or near zero.

Although the numbers balance, the slim margin of flexibility brought into question the ability and professionalism of Centeno-Diaz as the organizations treasurer.

After questioning, Centeno-Diaz admitted that she hadn’t completed any sort of formal training.

“I’ve only completed informal training at this point,” Centeno-Diaz said. “If the budget doesn’t at least break even, the funds will come out of my pocket.”

While she admitted to not being properly trained, that wasn’t the only problem facing the defendants.

The election process that appointed Centeno-Diaz and Martinez Silvero was also discussed.

During her questioning by members of the court, Martinez Silvero said that 11 ballots, casted both in-person and by e-mail by active members of the organization, were not enough to bring them into office.

Reyes-Alamo didn’t directly question the election process itself, but they did have concerns in the communication process being taken by the president and treasurer to help get Puerto Rican students involved.

“Individuals haven’t had a chance to get involved because recruitment isn’t being done the right way,” Reyes-Alamo said. “In the last year, everything has changed, and we’re really worried about the future of the organization.”

Nearly four-and-a-half hours had elapsed Thursday when Gish determined that the court had heard enough evidence to convene over the weekend and come to a ruling.

“At the moment we will be discussing the verdict sometime on Sunday,” Gish said. “All of the court members are also students, so we have to wait until the weekend to make a ruling.”