Senior English major Jacob Foster highlighted Wednesday night’s Student Senate meeting with news about the genocide in Darfur and China’s direct involvement in it.

Foster talked about China giving the Sudanese government military aid in exchange for a monopoly on the country’s oil industry. He cited Washington Post articles estimating over 200,000 civilians killed in the conflict and over 2.5 million people displaced.

“It’s not time to say ‘We can’t do anything, we give up,'” Foster said. “It’s time to put on more pressure.”

Foster’s suggestion was to promote awareness by having a torch run around the perimeter of the state of Illinois by college students.

“If Illinois starts doing this, it will spread,” said Student Body President Cole Rogers. “It’s something we can do.”

Rogers also suggested that Eastern representatives going to the Illinois Board of Higher Education-Student Advisory Committee meeting at the end of the month could bring the torch-run idea to other universities.

Foster was content with the senate’s involvement.

“Some senate members talked about getting an (Registered Student Organization) started for Darfur,” Foster said. “I didn’t see anyone sleeping during the presentation.”

In other business, the Student Senate approved to pay $121.32 for 180 posters promoting Constitution Day on Monday.

Several senate members voted against the legislation; however the bill still passed 20-5 with three abstentions.

“The legislation was just introduced too late,” said Student Senate member Jeff Melanson, one of the opposing votes. “Emergency legislation is only to be introduced in extreme cases. I just don’t think we can get all the posters up before the weekend begins.”

Levi Bulgar, student executive vice president, vowed to make sure the posters got around campus and off campus before the weekend.

Bulgar also has a voter registration drive planned to begin on Constitution Day as well, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Library Quad.

After proposals votes were passed, the senate filled its last open seat with the appointment of Sean Wyrobek, a junior political science and history major.