DeKALB — The Student Government Association Senate made an amendment to its bylaws and officially recognized the Space Exploration Technologies club and the Zeta Iota chapter of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority on Sunday. 

SGA voted Sunday to reorder and reorganize the non-discrimination agreement in student organizations constitutions.

Prior to this change, one of the exceptions to this agreement, where organizations are not required to admit those who do not align with the values and principles outlined by their organization, had been in the same clause of their constitution as the non-discrimination agreement itself. 

Other exceptions to this agreement, such as fraternities and sororities being allowed to deny membership based on gender, were in a separate clause following the non-discrimination agreement. 

It will no longer need to be in the same clause as the non-discrimination agreement for more clear organization, and will instead be with other exemptions allowed to the non-discrimination agreement. 

The Senate voted to officially recognize the Zeta Iota chapter of Delta Sigma Theta and the Space Exploration Technologies club. Organizational Oversight Committee Chairperson Clayton Schopfer recommended that the Senate vote to recognize them as they had promptly completed all other steps to become an organization under the guidance of the Organizational Oversight Committee. The Senate approved them unanimously without discussion or debate. 

There was a motion to appoint Roderick Moyer as senator, but he could not attend the meeting, so the bill was tabled until Moyer was able to attend a meeting.

The Senate also commended the success of the NIU 2020 Men’s Soccer team for securing the back regular season title. 

“We are here to support and uplift on campus teams,” Senator Jacob Burg said, who proposed the motion. “They have not won a regular season title since 2006.”

Burg also encouraged senate members to support the men’s soccer team in the MAC Tournament finals on Saturday in the NIU Soccer and Track & Field Complex.

The motion passed unanimously. 

State Republican Rep. Jeff Keicher came and spoke to the Senate about pursuing politics after graduation.

Keicher spoke on being an NIU alum, and discussed how his time at NIU helped shape him into the politician he is. 

“I  wouldn’t be where I am today, either my business life, my personal life or my political life if it weren’t for the gifts that I got here on campus” Keicher said. 

Keicher encouraged senators to be aware of the power they have as leaders in academia and if they continued to pursue politics beyond college. 

“Your burden of responsibility is critical,” Keicher said. “Responsibility has a critical role that has not been fully realized.”