The Leadership and Mentorship Program has moved from the Lightner Center to the Student Organization room in the Student Union, and has finally found a permanent home in the Student Life office.

LAMP, an administrative program, initially moved from the Lightner Center to the Student Organization room, but moved out because of a Student Government Association resolution passed Oct. 1, which called for it to vacate the student organization room, which is to be used solely by student clubs, organizations and the SGA, according to university facility guidelines.

David Polin, SGA vice president of administration, sponsored the resolution.

"I received an e-mail from a very concerned student asking me to address the issue," Polin said. "I also received several in-person testimonials stating that the change was wrong, unfair and being done in a very arbitrary fashion, and again asking me to address their concerns."

The e-mail sent to Polin was from a student, wishing to remain anonymous, who is involved in a student organization that raised many concerns.

"Mr. Polin, I am asking you do what is necessary to mend this issue," the student stated in the e-mail. "Look in the HOOP policies if this is legal. The Union is paid by student fees and we still pay for it. Why didn’t the rest of the student body have a say in this?"

However, Student Life Director and LAMP Coordinator Sergio Martinez said he was unaware of the resolution because SGA members had not met with him before composing the resolution.

"They caught me completely off guard," Martinez said. "They didn’t really talk to me about it. When I asked about it, I was just ignored. I don’t understand what the issue is. Is it because they just don’t want people there? Is it like a territorial thing?"

Martinez said LAMP’s location change from the Lightner Center to the Student Union was brought up when he became Student Life director.

"I got this new position, you know, I wanted to merge my area with me, so I brought them with me," Martinez said. "I run several programs in the office: Scorpion Ambassadors, Scorpion Scholars, LAMP, several organizations, I have student development programs."

Vice President for Student Affairs Hilda Silva said part-time LAMP employee Heather Olague had to make numerous trips from the Lightner Center to the Student Union and that the change was also good for the LAMP employees.

"We couldn’t leave that space unattended," Silva said, referring to the Lightner location. "We tried it for a while, but Heather was going back and forth like 20 times a day. It was not efficient that the function that belongs to one office was being separated by two. Once Heather left, I couldn’t let the students meet there on their own."

LAMP employee Daniel Vela thinks the change to the Student Union was convenient and didn’t have a problem adapting.

"I like it because I’ve established new connections with Student Life now," Vela said. "We are more informed about what’s going on."

Martinez said the rules and regulations in the Student Organization room were not being followed.

"One of the concerns I had when I came in is that there were students in there that were not organization members using the room," he said.

Other regulations that were not being followed were that students were using the room as a study or homework area and consuming food or drinks.

"A lot of people were using that as their own personal lunch room," Martinez said. "That’s one of the policies I had put in there. There is no food or drinks allowed in that room."

In the e-mail sent to Polin, the anonymous student said he and other students use the room for studying.

"I go and study there. … Students who know about it do their homework there," the student said.

The LAMP program was moved to the Student Life office on the second floor of Union shortly after the resolution was passed.

Asked if the Student Life office is LAMP’s permanent location, Silva replied, "Yes, it is."