A storm of personal issues clouded debate at the Government of the Student Body Senate final meeting of 2006 on Wednesday night.

Resignations, recalled votes and rules debates were the order of the day, extending the debate past publication time. The primary issue under discussion was a request from Dance Marathon for $2,807 to purchase a Macintosh computer.

During a delay caused by a fruitless attempt by members of Dance Marathon to present an informative video about their group, Senator Kaiser Kaiserani, who had apparently tendered his resignation from GSB the previous week, citing personal reasons, made a few joking motions, which included suspending the rules of order and electing a new Senate Speaker.

After abandoning hope for the video presentation, Christopher Deal, senior in mechanical engineering and representative of Dance Marathon, said the group requested the funding so it would be able to create its traditional video montage of the event. The allegedly large level of funding requested raised questions by several senators.

“The computer you’ve requested is literally the top-of-the-line Apple computer, but you said it is the bare minimum,” said Tom Dworzanski, senior in finance.

Charles Wakefield, senior in computer engineering, offered his opinion that Macintosh computers are inferior to PCs for graphic design.

“In the past, Macs were better, but that has completely reversed,” he said.

Andrew Brown, graduate in biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology and the Graduate and Professional Student Senate President, voiced his objection from the gallery.

“Please do not spend my and other students’ money just because you have it,” he said.

The vote on the bill, which was later recalled, was reported at 16-15-1. Senator Kaiserani withdrew his decision to abstain and cast a negative vote.

After the vote was changed to a tie, Vice President Sara Faber cast an affirmative vote that passed the funding bill.

Senator Kaiserani said he originally abstained because he felt that GSB Finance Director Jason Carroll, graduate in civil, construction and environmental engineering, and Gail Ferlazzo, GSB faculty adviser, were trying to prevent him from voting because of his resignation.

“Carroll and Ferlazzo need to leave GSB,” Kaiserani said,

“They try to run it their way too much.”

Senator Kimberly Kiraly, junior in family and consumer sciences education, also resigned during Wednesday’s meeting.