Organizations seeking Student Association recognition must attend the presidents’ meeting at 9 p.m. tonight in the Holmes Student Center Capitol Room.

Existing or newly-forming student organizations need the recognition of the SA to receive funds generated by student fees. The SA controls the allocation of student fee monies and in order to obtain or maintain their budgets for the year, the organizations must be recognized.

Organizations also need SA recognition to reserve tables at events like the SA organizational expo, or to reserve a room in the HSC for meetings or special events.

Any group, except religious organizations, is eligible to receive SA recognition as long as its membership is open to all students.

Fraternities and sororities are eligible for SA recognition but no funding, since their membership is not open to all students.

SA Vice President Dave Gonzales is organizing the event. He said that all students are welcome to attend and he hopes to get a faculty member to speak at the meeting. Gonzales expects the meeting to last about 90 minutes.

In a past Star interview, Gonzales referred to the event, saying “In the past we’ve had problems with people not understanding what recognition is all about. We’re just basically going to go over the requirements.”

In other SA news, the phone number for Late Night Ride Service has changed this semester. The new number is 753-2222. Why the change? “It’s easier to remember,” said SA Mass Transit Board Chair Charlotte Chambers.

Chambers said the service is “basically a safe passage method on Friday and Saturday evenings.”

The service operates from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. and is free to all NIU students who show their student ID cards.

“It’s for individuals who have had alcoholic beverages to drink, or even individuals who don’t want to walk home, to make sure they get home safely after they party or something of that nature,” Chambers said, stressing that the service is open for both men and women.

Another change in the service this year will be to attach magnetic signs to the side of the vehicle, so that students wishing to use the service will be able to flag it down as they see it on the street.

The service is staffed by University Police, and has not started for this semester because the UPs have not finished the hiring process for Late Night drivers. Chambers estimates that the service will get underway “within the next couple of weeks.”