A spontaneously-formed Student Association committee voted Sunday to allocate itself $8,500 in summer student fees for the purchase of a new computer system.

The system was among almost $14,000 allocated for supplemental funding for student organizations. The requests were to go before the entire SA senate, but the SA meeting scheduled for 4 p.m. was five senators short of the 15 needed for a quorum.

Six of the senators present and student Board of Regents member Nick Valadez, who sat with the audience, agreed to meet as members of the Summer Finance Committee. The committee met after the SA’s scheduled meeting.

The Summer Finance Committee has the authority under SA bylaws to allocate the summer student activity fee to organizations requesting supplemental funding for contractual obligations.

The computer proposal, submitted by the newly-sworn-in SA Vice President Gregg Bliss, stated that four Zenith computers will be purchased and connected as a network system. The main unit at a cost of $2,649 has more memory capability than the three smaller units which cost $1,499 each. All four will have color monitors to prevent long-term eye strain, according to the report.

Zenith has upgraded some of the equipment and the prices might have changed, the report stated.

The main unit will set on the manager’s desk and the three smaller units will set on the secretary’s, Bliss’ and Treasurer Diana Turowski’s desks.

The $8,500 allocated for the system does not include the costs of a printer or of software needed for operaton. Bliss said public domain software might be used with the system and a dot matrix printer might be purchased at a later date.

Committee member and SA Sen. Dave Stern was against the computer allocation. He suggested the SA wait to discuss the allocation until the full senate returns this fall. “We’re going to look bad,” he said, “I think we can wait.”

Committee Chairman Turowski and Valadez initially opposed the allocation until the motion was amended to require that Turowski and Bliss meet to determine whether a system of the same quality can be purchased at a significantly lower price. Turowski said she will not be able to meet with Bliss before Thursday.

Turowski had asked Bliss to look into more computer brands. After the meeting, Bliss said that he had checked into two brands other than Zenith and talked with three NIU staff members.

SA President Paula Radtke, who attended the meeting, advised committee members not to wait until the new senate convenes this fall. “It would be presumptuous to assume they (the new senate) have the knowledge to make this decision.”

According to the report, organizations’ budgets could be maintained on a database to allow instant access to information.

Bliss told the committee that the new computer system represents using the student fees to help the SA help other student organizations. “We’re helping organizations on campus, not lining our own pockets.”

The SA’s current computer system consists only of a word processor and is outdated, Bliss said.

The $8,543 allocation for the new system passed with a 6 to 1 vote. Stern voted against the motion.

The committee also allocated $4,176 in supplemental funding for the Campus Activities Board/Fine Arts. The money will go toward unanticipated concert and equipment costs.

The committee tabled a request from Fine Arts for journal subscriptions and $20 toward the purchase of a coffee maker. Committee members said the request did not constitute supplemental funding and will have to wait for ratification from the senate this fall.