Student Association senators were bombarded with more than 30 e-mails responding to a senate decision to deny recognition to a political student group that supports Howard Dean as the Democratic presidential nominee.

Generation Dean is a national student organization with the local chapter led by Eric Reyes, a graduate law student at NIU.

Senators received e-mails from individuals across the nation proclaiming their objections to the senate’s decision not to recognize the student group.

Some senators were e-mailed about more than just concerns over the senate’s rejection of Generation Dean – one e-mail contained the “MYDOOM” virus, senator Donna Dalton said.

The senate denied the group recognition in a nearly unanimous vote during Sunday’s SA Senate meeting. A second motion to reconsider the decision was shot down in a 10-22-1 vote.

“I wasn’t able to refer because it immediately goes to a vote,” SA Senate Speaker Andrew Nelms said.

Despite the vote, Nelms and a few other senators attempted to overturn the vote and refer the group to the Student Organizations Committee for assistance.

“It wasn’t a decision made in haste,” Nelms said.

E-mails were sent by students, teachers, lawyers, a former dean of academic affairs for Goddard College, an individual in the Slovak Republic and other Dean supporters.

Nelms said he was distressed that people were misinterpreting the senate’s action as a denial of freedom of speech.

People found out about the incident when Reyes posted a small description of the situation on the Howard Dean official blog at his campaign Web site.

Reyes said he received more than 60 e-mails, some from lawyers offering advice to take some sort of action against the university and the decision by the SA.

“A lot of people feel it’s a violation of our constitutional rights,” Reyes said.

He said the group is dependent on recognition in order to further its cause.

Reyes said when the senate denied Generation Dean recognition, it prevented the group from being able to use university facilities to campaign.

“For us to do our job … we have to be doing it on campus,” Reyes said. “I intend to appeal it.”

The student group can book university facilities through other student groups, Nelms said.

Reyes said he was unsure what the procedures within the SA are for appealing decision.

“I know the constitution says denial of recognition is final,” Reyes said. “I don’t know if this is final-final or pretend-final.”

Any decision made by the SA can be overturned in the SA Supreme Court, Nelms said.

“We will be more than willing to work with the College Democrats,” Reyes said.

He said he contacted the College Democrats prior to forming the Generation Dean group on campus.

R.J. Gravel, president of the College Democrats, said he never was contacted by anyone from the organization prior to them seeking recognition by the SA.

“It’s not the constitutional crisis he’s making it out to be,” Nelms said.

Reyes said the group will continue to campaign on campus, regardless of the lack of SA recognition or the outcome of the primaries.

“When the campaign ends, regardless if Dean is president or not, we will stick with it,” Reyes said.