Tuesday night’s Associated Students of NMU meeting was the last before Thanksgiving break.

The board discussed ideas to think about over break and denied a budget for the next Student Association of Michigan (SAM) Conference.

Dani Thoune, chair of the assembly, presented a budget for the next SAM conference, which is scheduled to take place at University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. The $456 budget funded lodging and gas.

Ten members voted against the budget and two abstained from voting. It was the first time they heard of the budget and did not have time to think about it. Members thought the budget was too much money and no one voted yes.

The board took a week to look over the information on the Safe Rides Home program and some of the board members brought up some concerns about marketing.

There was also some concern about the liabilities that come along with the program.

“I’m assuming there is going to be a huge liability with driving intoxicated people home,” said Justin Brugman, ASNMU president. “I would like to see what other schools with this kind of program do.”

The board will be brainstorming ideas from now until winter vacation in hopes of solidifying plans for next semester.

Among those ideas is the bridge program, which links student organizations and makes it more accessible for them to interact with one another through volunteer work.

Another is a program that motivates representatives from ASNMU to stay for more than a year.

“I think a way we could do that is by changing the way we do things, or gear more people toward ideas that peak their interest,” said Drew Janego, ASNMU vice president.