DeKALB | Students interested in running for the Student Association general Senate elections this fall must attend informational meetings today and Thursday.

Students who wish to run for the SA Senate must either attend the meeting today in the Holmes Student Center in Room 506 or Thursday in Room 505.

Prospective candidates should know what key issues have been discussed over the past year as well as some of the measures the SA has passed.

The Senate passed a bill last fall that gave the NIU Hockey Club $12,000 in supplemental funding. During that same meeting, the Senate voted to oppose the smoking ban in DeKalb.

One duty of the Senate is to approve organizations that function on campus. Last November, the Senate approved the Multicultural Greek Council and gave it $2,890. The SA also approved the Campus Security Fund in April of this year to help fund security guards for SA-related functions.

The SA also created a public affairs committee last year. The committee was formed to raise awareness about the Senate and find out what students wanted. To this end, the SA held a town hall meeting that one student attended.

Last year, the Senate was plagued with attendance issues, especially in committees. Robert Batey, Speaker of the Senate, said attendance is something he will focus on this term. Specifically, he said he will appoint committee chairs and instate weekly meetings.

Christopher Norman is a Student Association beat writer and Campus Reporter for the Northern Star.