The Student Association Senate passed a motion to honor Bill Nicklas, vice president of Operations and Community Relations, as an eternal honorary senator Sunday for his advocacy of students’ rights and shared governance, said SA Senate Speaker Dillon Domke.

Nicklas has worked at NIU for three years and is retiring Nov. 1.

“He has served a role that not too many administrators here or, quite frankly, administrators anywhere, has served before,” Domke said. “He’s been at almost every single Senate meeting in his time here. He is always adamant about advocating for student rights and shared governance, so he’s definitely been a part of the Student Association more so than any other administrator that I’ve ever seen in my short years here.”

The proposed resolution, which passed unanimously, was a proclamation listing Nicklas’ efforts as a university administrator and as a city manager for DeKalb and Sycamore.

“I want to thank Speaker Domke and every member of the Senate for the three years that I’ve been here for teaching me, and I sincerely mean this, the value of having a dream,” Nicklas said. “And this is not going to be hokey. Every one of you already has a dream, and one of the things I noticed straightaway at my first meeting in October 2011 was that no one like me had to tell you what that dream was. I’ve heard it tonight, I’ve heard it for three years. Every one of you says that you are here to make a difference, and that’s exactly what you’re doing. I’m terribly honored, very humbled and I’m just proud to have had the opportunity to have been here.”

Law student James Zanayed was appointed to the SA Supreme Court. Zanayed served as director of Student Life and Greek Affairs, as well as SA Senate speaker during his undergraduate years. He said he hopes to mitigate differences and arbitrate conflicts within organizations.

“I know a lot about writing the law, writing the rules of the constitution and even somewhat interpreting them on a daily basis,” Zanayed said. “I truly understand the way that the Student Association works, so I think I’d be capable of interpreting a case that came before the SA Supreme Court. The role is to interpret the law on an objective basis and I think I’m able to do that.”

Marvin Harris, junior rehabilitation services major, was elected a senator-at-large, while candidate William Wyma failed to receive the necessary two-thirds vote.

Harris has held leadership positions in Black Male Initiative as director of Community Service, Black Theater Workshop as treasurer and has been a Neptune Hall community adviser. He is also a group forming called United by Diversity to promote awareness, embrace identity and unite people through service. Harris said he wants to reach out to as many students as possible and provide a voice to students.

“The fact that we are so diverse, that’s phenomenal,” Harris said. “But I do still feel like there is some segregation, and I want to create a home feeling that connects us all together. To say, ‘Hey, even though you may be from the south side of Chicago, and another student may be from China, we’re still all NIU students. We all go to the same school and we all have the same goals: to graduate, and to better our campus, ourselves and our future.’”