The Student Association Executive Board has the power to make decisions without the Senate in emergency situations, but their latest act in exercising this power is questionable.

Although the board knew about plans to have Black Muslim leader Louis Farrakhan speak at NIU this semester back in December, it did not call a special meeting to determine whether the SA would contribute funds to the project. However, the Black Student Union requested help last semester to fund Farrakhan’s appearance, which will cost $12,000.

On Tuesday the executive board met and decided to contribute $4,000 toward Farrakhan’s visit. SA President Huda Scheidelman claimed the board was justified in allocating funds without the Senate because there was not enough time to call an emergency meeting.

But the fact of the matter is that there was time to call a Senate meeting. Although scheduling Farrakhan’s arrival might not have been as organized as it could, the SA knew of the plans ahead of time and certainly could have called an emergency meeting, or at least attempted to.

Senate and student concern that this decision was too major to leave out the Senate further illustrates that the board should have called an emergency meeting. If senators are willing to take the time to petition the SA Supreme Court, it seems they would have taken the time for an emergency meeting on such a hot topic.