URI sailing team aided by senate to compete in World Cup

04/16/09 - The University of Rhode Island Student Senate awarded financial assistance to three student organizations last night totaling $9,900.The URI Sailing Team received the majority of the funds with a $6,000 loan.

Junior captain Jesse Fielding, who spoke on behalf of the team, said the money would go to defray a portion of the cost of competing in the Student Yachting World Cup in Marseille, France.

The team qualified to compete in the October 2009 World Cup with its Nov. 9 victory at the United States Naval Academy's John F. Kennedy Memorial Regatta.

This is the 11th time in its history the club has qualified for the race, Fielding told the senate, more than any other team in the United States.

"We're now trying to take on the project of getting ourselves to that world cup and winning for URI there and representing the school and representing club sports and the student senate," he said.

The total cost to compete in the event will come to about $40,000, Fielding said. The cost includes housing, boat rental, docking and participation fees.

In order to make up the remaining $34,000 the club will be launching an extensive fundraising campaign with letter writing and on-campus events, Fielding said.

"We're in charge of raising that money and we're going to try to do whatever we can to get it," Fielding said following the meeting.

Planned fundraisers include two screenings of the Roy Disney sailing documentary "Morning Light." Fielding is one of two URI students featured in the film, which was released in October 2008.

Fielding was optimistic about the team's chances in France, citing his and other team members' racing experience at home and abroad.

"We know what we're getting into when we get on a plane and go to a foreign country and race for team USA," Fielding said following the meeting.

The club will be able to repay the $6,000 loan following the race when the regatta's organizing committee reimburses a number of the fees and associated costs.

Senate president David Bedard spoke in support of the loan request.

"I've only been here three years and this is the second or third time we've had the chance to send them to France for this competition," Bedard said. "They're an outstanding team that I would like to see go to France and hopefully take home the world title."

The first item to be passed by the senate was a $3,000 grant request from the URI Contenders' Academy, a student group dedicated to boxing.

The money will go to pay the group's trainer, who has not been paid in about a year and a half, said club president and former senator Maxwell Adepoju, who spoke on behalf of the group.

The group had originally intended to use the money to fund a boxing match similar to one held last spring, Adepoju said.

"We're not doing the show this year just because we really want to get him paid, we really want to make sure he gets paid for what he works for," he said.

The group also had less URI students interested in participating in the match than last year, Adepoju said, but they hope to host a match in the fall.

The smallest allotment doled out was a $900 grant to the Cape Verdean Students' Association.

The money will aid a fundraising event to be held on April 23 on the Quadrangle, CVSA member Robert Penha told the senate.

The event will feature an inflatable obstacle course, bowling, food and other activities, Penha said.

The annual event will be free and open to students, but any donations made will go to benefit the Bidon Project, a philanthropy that provides school supplies to students in Cape Verde, Penha said.

In other business:

The senate voted to approve a co-sponsorship request in the amount of $150 for the Chi Upsilon Sigma National Latin Sorority's fifth anniversary banquet.

The senate voted to appoint senators Allen Petit, Jorge Rodrigues, Juelia Simon, Jonathan Aronoff and Shaun O'Loughlin to the Elections Committee.

Senators voted to approve the appointments of five liaisons. Noel Slater was approved as multicultural liaison, Gage Kearns as Faculty Senate liaison, Joseph Puleo as Interfraternity Council liaison and Gianna Prata as liaison to the Panhellenic Council. Michael Holden will continue in his role as Club Sports liaison.

Nominations were held for two open spaces on Summer Senate. Nominated were Katherine Holland, Amanda Clarke, Gianna Prata and Steven Boiteau.