The Student Senate Wednesday voted to suspend their bylaws in order to pass a proposed bill from the Apportionment Board granting $9,600 to the Athletic Department for expenses associated with the Ohio Valley Conference basketball tournament.

New senate bills and bylaw changes normally must be tabled for a week before they can be voted on. However, $5,000 of the AB allocation would be required Tuesday, while the next senate meeting is not until Wednesday. That amount will purchase 1,000 student tickets for the tournament game if Eastern is the host.

Rich McDuffie, director of athletics, said purchasing the tickets would still allow the first 1,000 Eastern students into the game for free, a luxury granted for regular season sporting events through the athletic fee.

The senate also spent a good deal of time discussing another proposed bill from the AB, proposing a three-year-old loan to the University Board be forgiven.

Following two concerts in 1997 and 1998 that lost a great deal of money, the UB was granted a loan of $37,329.12, with a 6 percent interest rate, to be paid off in three years. The amount remaining on that loan, $14,381.82, will be skimmed off the UB’s budget for next year.

The UB requested the allocation, because cutting the $14,000 from the budget would be detrimental to all programming aspects of the organization, UB Vice Chair Caleb Judy said.

The UB originally requested an additional allocation from the AB to pay off the loan, but the AB voted on forgiving the loan, with the stipulation that the interest, $3,034.89, still be paid off.

Concerns voiced throughout the debate centered on issues of the principles of a loan, why the loan is charging interest, and following the wishes of the AB that approved the loan three years ago.

Several senate members argued that the money was given as a loan for a reason, and should continue being treated as a loan.

On the other side of the argument, several members said the wishes of the AB and Student Senate three years ago should not govern students now.

In accordance with senate bylaws, the bill was tabled until the next meeting.

A third allocation from the AB to be voted on next week, proposes $2,225 be allocated to the senate for the annual Recognized Student Organization banquet, to cover expenses of the event.

The senate also discussed a bill voicing support for the university influence area included within the Unified Development Code.

Creation of the university influence area calls for additional parking at businesses, beautification of rental properties, and relaxing of R-2 zoning in that area. R-2 zoning currently allows only three non-blood related roommates, and relaxing the requirements would allow five.

The Unified Development Code is still in deliberation, and may be voted on in one month.