The ASCC Cabinet discussed approving funds for students to attend the Phi Rho Pi National Forensics Tournament and for funding for hydration stations on Monday Feb. 9.

Director of Forensics April Griffin requested the ASCC Cabinet for additional funds to take students to the Phi Ro Pi Tournament.

Currently there are 11 students that are pursuing to go to the event if funding is approved.

To be eligible to attend, students must have competed in at least 3 events to be considered tournament ready.

Phi Rho Pi is the oldest speech and debate tournament in the United States. The tournament is over 100 years old. It is known as a full service tournament and offers different types of debate and individual event activities.

There will be a vote on this Wednesday’s Senate meeting to see if students can be funded to attend their tournament.

This weekend, the Tabor Venitsky Invitational Speech and Debate tournament will be held at Cerritos College.

In the past the tournament has stayed mostly local but the tournament has been growing.

This year, students from Texas, Tallahassee, Northwest College, Western Wyoming and New York will be attending.

Griffin said, “We’ve been considered for a couple years now as the best training ground for Phi Rho Pi. We follow all of the Phi Rho Pi rules which are a little bit different than local regions.”

This weekend’s tournament will be open to the public.

Also on the agenda was the approval for several hydration stations around campus.

“There was originally nine areas that were picked and we came to the decision last week of the five areas we’d like to put them in but we’re waiting for our advisor so that we can clear it with her before we get an approval from senate,” Commissioner Hope Garcia said.

Hydration stations would be replacing water fountains and would deliver cool filtered water to students.

The stations would be located in areas that are convenient for students and the stations will be optimized for accessibility for disabled students.

The goal is for the stations to be up this year before the Spring Semester ends.

Commissioner of Student Center Illene Ochoa announced that there are plans to put new furniture in the student center.

The newly unveiled mascot is still to be named.

The American Red Cross will be holding the rest of their blood drive this week from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. inside the Student Center Building.

The campus will be closed on both Friday Feb. 13 and Monday Feb. 16.

The next ASCC Cabinet meeting will be held Feb. 23.