The Student Association senate accepted the resignation Sunday of Mike Goldstein, Student Committee on Political Action co-chairman, and approved more funding for WKDI’s pursuit of an FM frequency.

Goldstein, who has left NIU because of undisclosed personal reasons, did not appear at Sunday’s senate meeting. He did say in a written statement to the senate, however, that he was “perfectly happy with (his) decision (to leave NIU)—one that has nothing to do with the makings of the SA. Leaving NIU is easy; leaving the SA is not without some pain.”

SCOPA Co-Chairman Rene Lilly said she did not know exactly why Goldstein was leaving NIU but said, “I will be pleased if I can be half as productive as he was.”

SA President Paula Radtke said Goldstein’s leaving “is a loss. He’s a mover and a shaker and has done a lot for student government on campus. He’ll be missed.”

Lilly said she will continue as the sole SCOPA chairman. “Our work was divided equally, so I’m going to have to take on a lot more myself,” she said.

Also Sunday, the senate approved $4,700 to pay for legal fees associated with WKDI’s efforts to receive an FM channel. The senate turned down a similar request from the station for $7,000 two weeks ago.

The senate’s action came following the results of Thursday’s student referendum, in which 77 percent of the 1,004 people who voted indicated they would be willing to pay for WKDI’s possible FM conversion.

According to Mike Lazar, WKDI’s faculty adviser, NIU will have to wait until February to receive the results of a Washington D.C. judge’s decision as to whom will receive the frequency.

Of the three other applicants in the running for the channel, two of the stations would not be able to cover 80 percent of DeKalb, which is one requirement of the Federal Communications Commission to receive the frequency, Lazar said. One other applicant will not manage the station locally, which is another FCC requirement, he added.

In view of the referendum results, Radtke said the President’s Fee Study Committee is “well aware of and very supportive of the WKDI fee.” If approved by the committee, NIU President John LaTourette and the Board of Regents, a one-time, $10.47 fee will be charged to students for WKDI’s frequency switch.

“I think the administration would like to see WKDI on the air. I seriously doubt that there will be any resistance to (the fee) by the President’s Fee Study Committee,” Radtke said.

The senate also approved NIU senior Jamie Pennington as the senate’s president pro tempore. Pennington said he has been informally associated with the SA for three years as a member of SCOPA and other activites.

“I like to be informed and know what’s going on as far as campus activites and what’s happening in the senate,” Pennington said.