For three hours Sunday night, Student Association senators debated on a resolution, three bills and an amendment, and held SA speaker elections.

Senators passed a resolution concerning the University Housing and Dining Services proposed meal plan for the 2001-2002 academic year.

The plan that the NIU Board of Trustees passed discontinues the use of Dining Dollars, instead of encouraging the use of Huskie Bucks for convenience store and private restaurant purchases. The plan also reduces the dollar amount per week for cafeteria use, with the base plan giving students $50 a week instead of $60.

The SA resolution makes it clear that the senate opposes the meal plan and encourages the board to reconsider it.

“They’re stealing money right from our pockets,” said Sarah Hammer, a freshman business major. “Everyone I know uses the money left on their cards.”

Sen. Jeff Meyer proposed three bills, all of which were passed. The main bill was an amendment to the SA budget guide operations, granting the senate the opportunity to approve any changes to the budget guide.

This bill stems from the actions of current SA treasurer and president-elect Troy Caldwell.

Caldwell said there was a huge amount of money left in the general reserves this year & money which if not used by the end of the year would be lost. The treasurer therefore allowed first-year SA-recognized organizations to be provided with $400 instead of the normal $100.

“There’s no way an organization can operate on $100 a year,” Caldwell said. “We wanted this money to go to student use.”

Caldwell could make the changes because the budget guide is not constitutionally bound, but he still had to bring it before the senate for approval. The senate approved the changes.

Caldwell said the senate already has representation, as seven senators sit on the finance committee.

“This will cause a problem for student organizations to get their money in a timely fashion,” he said.

The other two bills passed allow for a one-week waiting process between the time when budget allocations for student organizations come before the senate for approval and the time in which the senate votes on it.

Meyer also had proposed an amendment, regarding the powers and operations of the SA Supreme Court, which was not passed. During debate, Sen. Matt Marcyniuk said the amendment would take a lot of the checks and balances power away from the Supreme Court.

During the remainder of the meeting, SA speaker elections were held, where current speaker Gema Gaete-Tapia was re-elected. She will lead the Sunday meetings and act as a representative for the senate.

After three hours, senators decided to end the meeting, leaving the rest of the agenda for the next meeting.

In other SA business, Caldwell welcomed all students to attend this year’s inaugural event at 6 p.m. May 1 at the Holmes Student Center’s Capitol Room.

“In years past, the event was always during the day on a Friday, and there wasn’t a high student turnout,” he said. “Hopefully, a Tuesday night event will bring in more students.”

While meeting their new SA executives at the event, students can enjoy refreshments and songs by the Northern Black Choir.