Due to devastating fluctuations in the values of many Asian currencies, the Government of the Student Body has taken action with a bill titled “Lending a Hand to our International Students,” which passed unanimously Wednesday night.

The bill, written by Mike Poray, GSS, and others, states that the Iowa State administration has been unclear in its plans to help international students affected by this crisis.

Even though the Board of Regents recently approved to institute an installment plan next fall, GSB and the International Student Council have urged the administration to institute the plan this semester.

The bill also suggests investigating the possibility of offering additional scholarships to affected students.

Part of the rationale for putting this bill into immediate effect is reciprocity for the help that members of the Association of Malaysian Students of ISU (AMSISU), who also are affected by the currency predicament, gave to Iowa students during the farm crisis in the 1980s and the floods of 1993.

AMSISU raised $14,000 in 1987 and 1988, which was used to set up four scholarships enabling students from Iowa to finish college.

In 1993, the group donated $3,000 to help families who lost possessions during the flood.

“The Malaysian students raised a lot of money for us, so we should give money back,” Poray said. “We’ve tried to come up with some feasible alternatives that won’t take a lot to implement.”

Bryan Burkhardt, engineering and GSB president-elect, also encouraged the senate to vote in favor of the bill.

“This is something they very much need,” Burkhardt said. “I believe we should help because they have helped in our times of need.”

Many of the students affected by the crisis have families in their home countries who are selling their possessions and property just so they can fly their children home.

“One international student at Cornell University recently committed suicide because his parents couldn’t help him,” said an ISU international student during the meeting.

Another reason for helping affected international students is to maintain diversity at ISU and the student fees they contribute.

“If we lose 1,000 international students, we would see a 4 percent drop in student fees,” said Mike Pogge, LAS. “Not only do they bring diversity, but they also bring economic survival at Iowa State,” he said.

“If things don’t get better, we’re going to need more help to keep the university as diverse as it is,” Poray said.

The bill saw criticism by Chris Wisher, Towers Residence Association, and Steve Erickson, off-campus.

Wisher argued that the market sees constant fluctuation, and waiting it out would be the safest and most sensible plan.

“Let’s not create a crisis. Wait it out and see what happens,” Erickson added.

This idea incited some heated statements from other GSB members.

“This is a crisis and an emergency,” said GSB President Rob Wiese. “We need to do something for the students. They don’t even know if they can buy their next meal.”

Poray and Brian Knau, agriculture, also denounced Wisher’s comments.

“This is a chance to do something very good for students and in no way hurt the university,” Knau said.

Wisher retorted to the comments after the bill was passed with a vote of 31-0. “I never intended to vote no, but there was another side of the issue that needed to be addressed,” he said.

As a point of personal privilege, all the names of the senators present at the meeting were added to the bill in its support.

In other news, GSB:

• Seated Kristen Schmitz with unanimous consent as senator for the College of Family and Consumer Sciences.

• Seated Rodney Morris with unanimous consent as a new senate judiciary committee at-large member.

• Failed the bill titled “Representing our Constituents with Class,” with a vote of 5-21.

• Passed the bill titled “Increasing Senate Accountability,” which requires each senator to hold a Meet Your Senator Day, with a vote of 22-3. The bill will go into effect this spring.

• Passed the bill for funding the CRP Club annual conference trip with a vote of 18-4.

• Passed the bill to amend the senate discretionary funding bylaws with a vote of 27-1.

• Failed the bill to fund the FCA trip with a vote of 12-14.

• Passed the resolution to increase TCI cable service for ISU and Ames by unanimous consent.

• Called a special session senate meeting for this Friday at 7 a.m. to vote on the Dance Marathon bill. The bill received discussion that broke many rules of order.

The senate was unable to reach a decision within the 45 minutes allotted for the bill, and when voting was attempted, quorum was not present at the meeting.