Members of the Student Association Senate attempted to put forth a resolution setting guidelines for the Campus Activity Board’s Concert Committee, but quickly found their hands tied when the proposed resolution was tabled.

The proposed resolution was designed to make sure the committee programs its concerts diversely for all NIU students, which is something many SA senators in recent weeks have accused CAB of not doing.

Two primary reasons the issue was tabled are because SA members were upset the concert committee had not been invited to the meeting and some senators believed the resolution was too vague.

“I think it’s downright rude if you don’t invite them (CAB),” said SA Treasurer Tony Lopykinski. Later, he added he felt the proposed resolution was too vague.

Sen. Trevor Rice, coauthor of the resolution along with Sen. Paul Alvarez, defended the proposed resolution.

“This resolution is very middle-of-the-road,” Rice said. “It’s not something to punish them. It says you need to do your job a little better and here are your guidelines.”

Some senators felt the resolution singled out CAB too much.

“This is saying CAB Concerts is discriminating,” said Sen. Rico DeLara. “If we put this stipulation on them, we would have to apply it to all SA recognized organizations.”

In other business, State Sen. Brad Burzynski, R-Sycamore, responded with a letter to a recent SA letter-writing campaign expressing concern over Senate Bill 987. The bill proposes a change in governance from the Board of Regents to separate boards for each university without student representation.

In the letter, Burzynski said the SA’s concerns would be addressed by the legislation once the bill is in its final form. He added many legislators voted for the proposal contingent upon amendments added to address the make-up of the board and its regard to the individual universities.

The SA also approved a $2,450 fund for the Martin Luther King Dedication Committee, which will dedicate the King Memorial Commons on Sept. 17.

“We have something to be proud of, a mall dedicated to Dr. King,” said Richard Baker, president of the NIU chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

Already slated as keynote speaker for the dedication is Benjamin Hooks, the former NAACP national director. Others invited include President Bill Clinton, Attorney General Roland Burris and a host of others. “This is something really big,” Baker said.