After months of anticipation, Student Government President Colorado Robertson finally made good on one of his campaign promise during the SG Senate meeting Wednesday night.After walking into the Senate chambers from the rain, Robertson took his place behind the podium and proceeded to dress himself in a bright yellow rain poncho. Robertson told the Senate that 25,000 rain ponchos had finally been delivered to the SG executive office. Robertson said because the ponchos were made in China, there had been some confusion with the manufacturer because of the Chinese New Year. The ponchos cost about $9,000, which was donated by the University’s corporate sponsors. As soon as they are tested, the ponchos will be loaded into University vending machines. On rainy days students will be able to use their Tiger Card to withdraw one free poncho.”We’re glad to see they’re in and available,” Robertson said. “It just goes to show your promises made during SG elections can be kept.”Meanwhile, more than 20 veterinary students were present at the meeting to support a bill which would allocate about $2,600 from the SG contingency account to partially pay for their trip to a veterinary symposium at Ohio State University.”I think it is perfectly reasonable to fund the whole thing,” said Sen. Tyler Martin, College of Business. “The veterinary school is one of the most overlooked parts of LSU.”Though the trip would cost more than what they asked, the students asked SG to help them pay the $75 registration fee for each attendee. The bill also allocated funds to help the students pay for “wet labs,” costly experiments which students would otherwise not be able to perform.”Wet labs allow us to interact with other students and put us one-on-one with other schools,” said Kathleen Elstrott, veterinary graduate student. No senators debated the bill, and it passed unanimously.A second bill, authored by Sen. Chris Sellers, College of Arts and Sciences, asked the senate to reimburse Volunteer LSU for a recent trip to Galveston, Texas, to clean up the wreckage from Hurricane Ike. The mission was manned by about 20 University students and cost them each around $100.Though the bill passed unanimously, it did so after a short round of debate.”I just have concerns that $100 per person isn’t that unreasonable and someone who really wants to go out there and make a change can shell that out,” said Sen. Greg Upton, College of Business.Other senators were anxious to hand out the money.”This is a concept a lot of people don’t understand about SG finances,” Sellers said. “We don’t have the burden of being fiscally conservative, we are supposed to be fiscally responsible.”Because money in the SG contingency account must be given to student organizations or roll over into the SG surplus, the Senate decided to repay the organization.—Contact Adam Duvernay at [email protected]