NIU’s Student Association president claims the impeachment process could have been avoided.

SA President Huda Scheidelman told three students at Monday’s press conference if the petitioners, senators James Mertes and Galvin Kennedy, asked questions about her performance three weeks ago, her removal would not have been necessary.

Mertes motioned for Scheidelman’s removal at Sunday’s senate meeting and then withdrew it based on Scheidelman’s behavior change.

“It is evident she is now willing to cooperate,” he said.

Mertes said the decision to withdraw the motion came after an informal meeting before Sunday’s SA meeting with Scheidelman.

Mertes and Kennedy asked Scheidelman if she admitted she made some mistakes, and she replied yes, Mertes said.

However, Scheidelman said the petitioner’s questions were not the same questions she was asked three weeks ago. Additionally, Scheidelman said she does not know how the petitioners could have noticed a behavior change.

“The only time the petitioners asked questions of concern was after it (the impeachment) was a publicized issue,” she said. The “reason for withdrawing (the petition) is not apparent to me or other senators.”

Scheidelman said the petitioners “had not come to me to discuss concerns or gripes.” She said she had requested a meeting to discuss accusations about her performance.

The petition claimed Scheidelman was portraying a poor image of the SA on local and state arenas. Scheidelman said the image has not been as poor as it has been the last three weeks.

Scheidelman said the petition brought about a lot of bickering and internal problems with the senate. It was “clouding what we were doing for students,” she said.

“I think the senate is now determined more than ever to present a front not focused on bickering and wasting senators’ time,” she said. “Our problem has been communicating.”

The SA will have a forum at 7 p.m. on Feb. 28 with representatives from every branch of government and each district to talk with students, Scheidelman said.