The Student Association Senate met Sunday night to debate a resolution to encourage consistent vegan options in the residence halls.

Edwin Alanis, a senior philosophy and psychology double major and president of the vegetarian education group, was asked to speak on the resolution.

Alanis defined a vegan as one who abstains from all products derived from animals. He estimated 5 to 10 percent of the NIU student body may be vegetarian or vegan. Three to four hundred students are on the vegetarian education group’s mailing list.

Students have submitted concerns to Alanis about certain products being advertised but were not vegan, and some were advertised but were not available at all.

One of the bigger concerns Alanis had was vegan students who had paid to enter an “all you can eat” dining hall and not being able to receive a refund when they found out there were no vegan options

available.

Senators were concerned with allocating funds or changing policies but were reminded by the speaker that it was just a resolution stating the opinion of the SA to be submitted to the Residence Hall Association.

Senators said they did not have enough information on the vegan population at NIU to pass the resolution. Some asked to have it sent to the University Services Committee for review.

Holly Creamer, a senator from district two, said she did not feel the University Services Committee had enough time to focus on the resolution because they are concentrating on a bill to give students some form of rollover on unused meal plan.

The senate voted to form an ad hoc committee of concerned senators to answer the senate’s questions about the resolution before it could be passed.

Nominations for SA senate speaker will take place during the senate meeting next week.