Student Association Senate passed a resolution to provide $16,000 in supplemental funding to the Bass Fishing Club.

The resolution called for supplemental funding to the Bass Fishing Club. The Bass Fishing Club asked for the funding to buy a boat to use in competitions.

Ryan Morse, coordinator of competitive sports and youth programs for Campus Recreation, said sports clubs travel across the nation to compete and need extra resources, like equipment.

Quinn Groenwald, vice president of the Bass Fishing Club, said the club sends two people per boat to find and catch fish. The $16,000 would pay for the boat, while insurance and maintenance would be covered by the university and the organization, respectively, Groenwald said.

The resolution passed with 12 yeas, six nays and 10 abstained.

“It was interesting,” SA Senate Speaker Dillon Domke said. “I’m surprised no one made a motion to amend [the resolution], I alluded to that a couple times. Personally speaking, I know boats are expensive, so I didn’t want to change it. I was surprised with how many abstentions there were, but that’s their opinion and they’re entitled to their votes.”

In public comments, SA President Jack Barry said he was disappointed in the voting results for the resolution, regarding the 10 senators who abstained from voting.

“You know what that means? You basically said that you don’t want to cast a vote,” Barry said. “So if you’re sitting here, and you don’t want your opinions to be heard, I question why you’re sitting around this table.”

Groenwald said the club already missed a tournament this year, but the supplemental funding will allow it to participate in more tournaments.

“It’s a huge step for us as a team coming from national championship to being here today,” Groenwald said. “It’s going to help us very much as a step in the right direction.”

Elections

SA Election Commissioner Susie Richard said senators should encourage students to vote in the SA executive elections by handing out fliers. The elections are Tuesday and Wednesday.

“When students vote, they are going to get a T-shirt,” Richard said. “So when their OneCard is swiped and the ballot is entered into the ballot box, the election judges will just give everyone a T-shirt.”

Transit

The Mass Transit Committee will distribute surveys to fix the Huskie Bus system as it is considering restricting the service to NIU students and adding a late-night bus system, according to the SA Senate agenda.

“Mass Transit is finishing up a survey done early this week and what it’s done is be a great way for students to really voice their opinions about what the buses have been doing and how to better serve the students,” said Senator Brett Williams, vice chairman of the Mass Transit Committee.

The University Services Committee created an online and paper survey on Late Night Ride Service. The survey will be distributed by senators in the Holmes Student Center and the Recreation Center this week. Domke said the survey has been a work in progress between himself, Senator Alex Martin, the University Services Committee and Joe Frascello, director of Mass Transit.

“We’ve been, on a weekly basis since we got back this semester, meeting with [NIU Police] Chief [Tom] Phillips to kind of develop a strategy to implement that will increase the usability of [Late Night Ride] by students,” Domke said. “Decrease the wait time, overall make it a better service for the students.”

The results will be reviewed by the University Services Committees, Domke and Phillips, who will present a change in the Late Night Ride service to an open forum in early April, Domke said.

Other business

Nicolas Sanchez was appointed a senator at large.

“I’m here today because I want to get a little more involved within the student government,” Sanchez said.

A resolution which urges the leaders of the university to stop their consideration of the second-year residency requirement was on the agenda. The resolution was not voted on due to the absence of the author, SA Deputy Speaker Ben Donovan. Domke said the university will not take any action on the consideration until late April. It will be presented in the next SA Senate meeting on Sunday.

Bills proposing to recognize Theta Chi fraternity, Kappa Delta Pi fraternity, the Northern Notes a capella group and the Global Student Organization were passed.

SA is showing a presentation of the Master Plan Thesis in the Holmes Student Center until the end of this week. Barry said there were only 65 students who visited the Master Plan Thesis presentation last week.

Student positions for the Bold Futures Workshops are available, Barry said. The second round of Bold Futures Workshops will be from March 28 to April 2.

Kevin Malone, SA director of Greek Affairs, will resign from his post after accepting an internship. Barry said the position will not be filled for the remainder of the spring semester due to the long application process.