Student Association funds were used to pay for two missing megaphones used in last Spring’s Day of Action.

SA Treasurer Dianna Turowski decided the SA, which is supported by student fees, was liable for the disappearance of the megaphones valued at $290 because their intended purpose was for the rally.

SA Vice President Gregg Bliss said the SA executive board decided that former SA Research Adviser Susan Greene, who reserved three megaphones, would not be held liable for their disappearance because they were being “passed from hand to hand” during the day.

Three megaphones were checked out from the Audio Technical Services the morning of the Day of Action, Greene said. However, none of the megaphones were returned by the SA.

Greene said one was was taken out of the SA service adviser’s office while people were cleaning the SA offices after the Day of Action. A second megaphone “disappeared during the rally,” while the third was confiscated by DeKalb Police during the arrests of the protesters blocking Lincoln Highway.

Turowski said she has “heard rumors” about the location of one of the megaphones, but the rumors have not been strong enough to notify NIU security.

Turowski said the payment was handled Aug. 31 as a transfer of funds through the SA. A line item allocation totalling $290 was taken from the SA payroll fund and transferred to an equipment fund.

Turowski said the finance committee allocated the line transfers during their summer meeting but tabled the payment until the question of the SA’s liability could be answered. The payment was taken from the payroll fund instead of the summer general revenue fund because there was extra money in the budget, she said.

The finance committee does not need senate approval for transactions within the SA, Turowski said. Payments made by the treasurer can be done only after the money is allocated and then are subject to the approval of SA Adviser Michelle Emmett.

Payment for the megaphones will show up in the Technical Services accounting records when the General Accounting Systems Report is released next month, Turowski said.