A last minute resolution for travel expenses and $330 for self-congratulating expenses were introduced to the Student Senate on Wednesday.

Two resolutions were introduced to fund an inauguration on April 27 to congratulate executive board members and student committee chairpersons.

Panther Catering would be hired for $200 if the resolutions passes during the April 2 meeting.

Erin Volk, student chairwoman for internal affairs, said the money would pay for “finger foods.”

Student Senate member Chris Kromphardt said he felt $200 is expensive for a lunch.

“It’s Panther Catering,” Volk and other senate members replied.

Plaques will be purchased for each of the six executive board members at a cost of $58.10. Another $72 would be spent to award a senator of the semester with a plaque, and all nine student committee chairpersons would receive “gifts.”

The emergency legislation pertained a to statewide student representation activity.

Two hotel rooms and travel expenses for this weekend’s Illinois Board of Higher Education Student Advisory Committee conference totals $313,72, according to the resolution.

Levi Bulgar, student executive vice president, introduced the resolution and was pleased that the conference was being conducted at the University of Illinois at Champaign Urbana.

The resolution was deemed an emergency legislation because the event will occur before the next senate meeting. An 18-2 vote with seven abstentions passed the resolution through the senate.

The abstaining senate members were concerned about why the resolution was submitted late.

Bulgar, Tiffany Turner and Sean Wyrobek presented a report from the Conference on Student Government Associations. Funding for next years COSGA trip was cut by the Apportionment Board during the March 20 AB meeting.

Bulgar intends to make the same presentation to AB during Thursday’s meeting to show a need for the program.

Participants reported on conference topics such as internal affairs management, campus crisis management and voter turnouts. Student Government’s fiscal year 2009 budget had $3,231 allocated for the event before AB cut it.

Rick Kambic can be reached at 581-7942 or at rwkambic@eiu.edu.