DeKALB — The Student Association senate held it’s Halloween-themed meeting which highlighted Emma West being voted in as a senator-at-large, along with a costume contest.  

West spoke to SA and addressed her concerns regarding minority students and helping them achieve success as students. She also said she wants to help students with disabilities in providing them with easier access to counseling services at NIU.

“This isn’t just for me and my résumé, it’s for students who are unsure [about things] and how to approach them,” West said. “I really want to make this campus better for those students.

Tristan Martin, Speaker of the Senate, said West provides a unique voice to the SA and will be able to be a good voice for students who have pressing issues.

“Specifically with the accessibility of the university right now as it appears to the users of the disability resource center, there’s a lot of concern that the university is not accessible in a lot of ways,” Martin said. “She is going to be able to provide a lot of insight on how that process moves forward.”

The meeting was closed with a halloween costume contest where SA voted on the best and most thought-out costume of the night.

Legislative Director Ian Pearson and senators Michael Kane and Ashley Hines were the three finalists. After multiple rounds of voting, Pearson won the contest for his costume of dressing as speaker Martin.

Martin said it is important for SA to have meetings with a more casual environment because of some stressful situations senators can go through during the semester of making tough decisions.

“The senate focuses on a lot of hard-stance issues, and having these breaks from seriousness, but still getting business done, is good for us,” Martin said. It’s a good way to just get away. That’s why we have this every year.”