Joe Annunzio, Student Association senate speaker, accepted the resignation of another SA senator Wednesday and expects between three and five more resignations before Sunday’s SA meeting.

Annunzio will present off-campus Sen. Michele Gerritson’s resignation to the senate for approval at Sunday’s senate meeting. Sunday’s meeting is the last senate meeting of the semester.

“Financial difficulties prompted my resignation; the senate’s effectiveness had nothing to do with my decision,” she said.

Senators Jim Valentine, Rob Martin, Dave Reynolds and Lori Doherty all have resigned within the last two months.

Annunzio declined to give the names of other senators possibly resigning. “I don’t want to say ‘I think,'” he said.

Annunzio said the senators “all have different reasons for resigning, and it’s not because the senate is ineffective, despite what other senators might think.”

SA President Paula Radtke said that five resignations at Christmas break is “a little above average, but fewer than last year.”

SA Vice President Gregg Bliss said seven senators resigned during the 1987 fall semester.

Annunzio said that in the past the senate has not addressed senator retention as an issue. “I really don’t think there is a way to address it.

“The people who stick around for the whole year really take the Student Association seriously,” he said.

Radtke attributed the resignations to poor election competition. There were 48 names on the ballot competing for 48 senate seats, not including the write-in candidates. The poor competition did not provide an opportunity to “weed out” those people running who were not as interested as others, she said.

Annunzio said the senate resignations don’t “hinder the senate in any way from addressing student issues.”

However, Radtke said the senators’ resignations make it difficult to work on issues.

“Resignations are a sympton of a larger problem—it’s student apathy in general and it carries through into the senate,” she said.

Radtke said most senate resignations occur because people accept the senate commitment to find it is bigger than they realized or are able to take on.

Senators resign for various reasons, Annunzio said. “Senators don’t resign just because the campus and student body feel that the Student Association has no purpose.”

Radtke said she was not suprised with the number of resignations this semester because “a core group of 10 to 12 senators do everything on the senate.”

The Student Political Education and Action Committee, of which Radtke is the chairman, plans to address about five general education lecture halls next semester to talk about the senate. Radtke said the presentation would be designed to promote interest in the senate and increase candidate and voter turnout. Plans for the program are still in beginning stages, she said.

Vacant senate seats will be filled through an election Jan. 24 and 25, Annunzio said. Candidates must adhere to the same requirements as in the September election, he said. The present five senate vacancies all are off-campus seats.