The LSU Student Senate unanimously voted during its Wednesday meeting to allocate $515 for phone chargers to rent from the LSU Student Union.
Senators Colleen Cecola and Ellis Rech authored Student Government Finance Bill No. 5 and said the money will buy five Android chargers, three iPhone 4 chargers and eight iPhone 5 chargers.
“We think that fairly accurately describes what students would need,” Rech said to the Senate. “I think it’s safe to say these chargers would apply to everyone in this room and pretty much everyone on this campus.”
Cecola said students are able to check out chargers from Middleton Library, but this bill would expand the service to the Union. She said the funds would come from SG’s initiatives account.
Rech said the process for checking out chargers is similar to LSU Libraries’ system, where a student can rent a charger for free by swiping his or her ID. Students are fined if they fail to return the charger. The library has six Android chargers, four iPhone 4 chargers and six iPhone 5 chargers, Rech said.
The iPhone chargers will be purchased through Apple for $20 apiece. The Android chargers will be bought through Best Buy and will cost $15 each, Rech said.
Another senator asked if the Senate could instead purchase charging stations, but Rech said there have been issues with students cutting off the cords. There are three charging stations in the library and two in the Student Union.
“Currently they just act as a large powerstrip,” Rech said. “This is kind of in response to those being vandalized. It’s an accountable way for students to be able to rent a charger.”
Senator Jacob Phagan said the bill went over well with the Senate’s budget and appropriations committee. He said the bill originally included camera tripods, but it was amended in committee.
The chair of the budget and appropriations committee, senator Alex de Gravelle, said the legislation provides a continuous service for students for a one-time cost.
“As people fail to turn them in, that just provides the Union with funds to buy more themselves,” de Gravelle said. “I think it’s a great, great finance bill.”