As the spring semester begins, 17 senate seats in the Student Association and the SA administrative position of minority relations adviser are up for grabs.

A general election will be held Jan. 23 and 24 to fill the vacant seats and restore the 45-member body, SA Vice President Steve Coloia said.

Nine of the 17 resigning senators are leaving because of graduation or time limitations. The other eight senators were appointed last semester and also must face election.

Coloia said although low voter turnout is expected in the spring elections, he does not foresee too many problems. During the last SA general election, less than 1 percent of NIU students voted.

Filling the vacancies will not be difficult, Coloia said. “I already know of nine people who want to fill the seats.”

In order to be on the ballot, candidates must submit a petition with 200 signatures from their district. The SA elects nine senators from five districts. Students not submitting a petition can conduct a write-in campaign.

Coloia said candidates sometimes have a problem getting 200 signatures and “we (the SA) are in the process of changing the procedure. Most candidates will conduct write-in campaigns” because of limited time and number of signatures needed, Coloia said.

Candidate Karl Krutsch, a senate appointee from last semester, does not think getting the signatures will be a problem.

The position of minority relations adviser is also vacant. SA President Huda Scheidelman said advertising will start this week to inform potential applicants. Joan Clay, the former minority relations adviser, will not be returning to NIU this semester, Coloia said.

In other SA business, Scheidelman appointed former senator Tracy Havener as public relations committee adviser, filling a vacancy created when Chris Hudders resigned at the end of last semester.

Hudders previously said he resigned because “the SA was taking up too much time.”

Havener already has started to work, although her appointment is subject to senate approval. Scheidelman pointed out a section in the SA constitution which allows certain appointees to be put on the payroll before senate approval. Havener was a senator from Douglas Hall last year and served on the public relations committee.

To be officailly appointed, Havener must be voted in by a two-thirds senate vote.