The Circus Spectacular will not come to the Convocation Center if the Student Association Senate has its way.

SA Senate decided on a new Board of Elections Committee as well as a resolution to show the Senate does not support the Circus Spectacular coming to NIU. The Senate voted during its 6 p.m. Sunday meeting in the Sky Room of the Holmes Student Center.

Circus Spectacular

During the meeting, Otis Buckley, Green Paws Environmental Alliance vice president, was invited to speak about the Circus Spectacular, a group bringing human and animal performers to the Convocation Center on March 4. The circus’ planned trip has aroused controversy in the community from those who think it should not come.

Buckley said NIU President Doug Baker was presented with a petition that had more than 2,600 signatures from students, faculty members and other members of the community who feel having the circus come to NIU would be a bad idea.

“We were also able to turn in a letter to the president that had 12 officers from six different student organizations sign on board saying that they also agree with [not having the circus come to NIU],” Buckley said.

Buckley said the George Carden Circus has received “numerous” citations from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for violations of the Animal Welfare Act. Buckley said the circus’ most recent infraction was in 2013.

“It has been proven that these are the things that this particular circus is doing, has done and continues to do,” Buckley said.

A Northern Star search of Animal Care Information System Search Tool, a USDA database that lists inspections and infractions, showed the George Carden Circus was cited twice for direct non-compliance and four times for indirect non-compliance across 16 inspections from March 16, 2011, to Dec. 16, 2013. It was not cited for repeat offenses across those inspections, according to the USDA database.

The voting for a resolution to urge the university to cancel the circus was almost unanimous with the exception of a vote to keep the circus from Sharonda Roberson, vice chairman of rules and procedures.

“I feel the circus should of came to NIU,” Roberson said. “I’ve done my own research and I feel like they use very graphic terms to persuade students to sign the petition. … I’m the voice of the students who are excited for the circus to come to NIU.”

Domke said the next step in the resolution is to draft a memo to send to the members of the university.

“I’m going to explain the situation and how the students feel,” Domke said. “We are the voice of the students, and it’ll be speaking on behalf of the 22,000 students we have here.”

Nobody spoke on behalf of the George Carden Circus during the meeting.

Board of Elections committee

The five members of the Board of Elections Committee are Ben Donovan, Benedict Scaduto, Alex Summers, Sam Kusswurm and John Larson, with Donovan elected as committee chair.

“Absolutely increase voter turnout any way that we possibly can,” Donovan said of his goal as chair. “Last year we had about a 10 or 12 percent turnout for the executive elections, and that’s absolutely unacceptable.”

Donovan said the methods SA will use to improve voter turnout haven’t been determined.

“I can’t speak for the tactics we are going to use yet without having had a committee meeting to actually brainstorm ideas, but we’re going to be working very hard to increase that number,” Donovan said.

Speaker Dillon Domke said he feels good about the committee.

“Hopefully with utilizing the organizations that [the committee members] are in we can get more people out to vote and more people out to run in the elections so we can get a qualified person in office for each of the spots,” Domke said.

Domke said Donovan will do a great job as committee chair.

“He’s done a great job as deputy speaker,” Domke said. “He’s a real go-getter and I have no doubts that he will do very well.”