Speakers from minority campus organizations will encougage students at a forum tonight to look beyond prejudices and deal with people on a more human level.

The open forum is sponsored by the resident assistants in the Grant Towers North D-Formal Lounge at 8:30 p.m.

Members of the Black Student Union will be among those speaking about their organizations during the question and answer session.

Dan Modeff, an RA at Grant North, said "The BSU and GLU are the two most misunderstood groups on campus." He said he organized the forum to provide an opportunity for students to ask members of the minoirty groups questions about the groups' purpose on campus. He said that many students have questions which need to be answered.

Modeff said the reason for doing the program is "the major problem of ignorance resulting from the lack of communication between students and the minority groups on campus."

Donna Philips, an RA at Grant North, said the people who attend the forum will become more aware of the minoirty organizations. She said if people know what the groups represent they might be less likely to discriminate against them.

Treasurer Tim Ivy is one of the members of the Black Student Union who will be speaking at the forum. He said he hopes that answering questions about the union will destroy the misconceptions about what black organizations are and what they do.

Ivy said he wants people to know that NIU does not promote racism, despite the controversy and rumors. He said, "Hopefully, if people understand that, they won't get threatened by black organizations."

Co-Presient of the GLU, Dan Greenwood, said the question and anwser session should help to "dispel stereotypes and break down barriers."

Greenwood said the GLU acts as a support group for NIU and DeKalb. He said answering questions about gay lifestyles will make pople realize that there are a diverse group of people at NIU but basically people are the same.

The GLU offers to send out speakers to various classes, such as human sexuality.

The Student Association Senate approved a motion Sunday night to recognize an ad hoc committee to study the feasibility of purchasing a new computer for the SA.

SA Sen. Micheal Goldstein said he has devoloped a five-part plan for developing a proposal which the committee will present to the full senate sometime next semester.

"The computer we have is outdated and it dos not fulfill the Student Association's needs," Goldstein said.

e said "Phase one is to detemine current and future computer needs of both the SA and the SA-recognized organizations. To accomplish this, we will conduct a phone survey of all the organizatons and speak with those who use the computer within the SA, such as (SA President) Jim (Fischer) and the secretaries, advisers, and senators.

"Phase two is identifiying sources and amounts of funding. We will work together with (SA Treasurer) Todd Lipscomb to that end," Goldstein said.

e also said the third phase will involve determining which actions are open in terms of available computer systems.

"There are many types of systems we can use, ranging from stand-alone microcomputers to multi-user/multi-tasking computer systems," he said.

"Phase four will involve solicitng bids on recomended systems. There is a possibility that we will mix bids for different aspects of the system. For example, we may accept a bid from one company on the printer and another from a different company on the mainframe," he said.

"Mixing bids will allow us to save money by using the most cost-effective part of each bid we receive.

"The final phase will be to make a final recommendation to the senate in the form of a propsoal document.

"Currently we are working on phases one and two, and we are in the process of conducting the phone survey," he said.

In other business, the senate unanimously voted to accept the resignation of Sen. Melinda Hoeft.

oeft said her resignation was prompted by "uncontrollable circumstances which I feel will make me unable to devote the time required to be an effective SA sentator."

The senate also unaminously vote to provide the Phillippine Student Association with $118.90 in supplemental funding.

Lipscomb said, "The PSA was zero-funded by the senate last year because it was not clear whether or not they would even exist and have 60 members."

Lipscomb said $32.80 of funding will go to pay for advertising. $15 for office supplies, $8.10 for printing and $63.00 for automobile expenses.

The senate also voted $76 in supplemental funding for the Visual Commications Committee.

"When they (the VCC) went to arrange transportation to a conference, they were told that the money which had been previously approved by the senate was not there," he said.