The Student Senate approved the Spring Pantherpalooza budget unanimously while three other resolutions were tabled during Wednesday’s meeting.

The Apportionment Board first approved the line item transfer for the Spring Pantherpalooza last semester.

“The money has already been allocated for,” said Dan Rolando, the vice president of student affairs.

So far 50 Registered Student Organizations have registered, Rolando said.

The Spring Pantherpalooza “Are You Panther Approved?” will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 26 in the University Ballroom of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

Pantherpaloozas usually only take place during the fall, but because of the overwhelming response of the last Pantherpalooza the student government decided to do one in the spring as well, Rolando said.

The event will have raffles, goodie bags, and other prizes.

“(The) last day to sign up is Monday on the (University Board) website,” he said, during the Senate meeting. “Please come out and support through your RSO.”

The senate members tabled three other resolutions including the allocation of COSGA and the UB’s Special Events fund.

The third tabled item was a bylaw that would put set guidelines for how and when senate members are allowed to approach the AB.

“We have an unwritten rule about the process of going to (the) AB, but I think it is something that needs to be in the bylaws,” said Ashley Hoogstraten, the vice president of business affairs and chair of the AB.

Hoogstraten, a senior corporate communications major, along with John Poshepny, a junior finance major, were the two senate members who authored the tabled resolution.

Student Body President Michelle Murphy motioned to pull the resolution because she said the wording needed to reworked.

“Regardless, of what day we vote on it this semester it doesn’t go into effect this semester anyway,” said Murphy, a senior communication major.

The tabled resolutions will be discussed during next week’s senate meeting.

During the audience participation, the co-chairwomen from the Illinois Residence Hall Association announced Eastern was picked to host the statewide conference, which will take place Feb. 18 to 20.

“To get the bid we first made a 30-page document that outlined what would be going on for the weekend, anything from the hotels to entertainment,” said Julia Novotny, a junior physics major.

The IRHA Conference will not be open to Eastern students, but IRHA 2011 Conference co-chairwomen, Karla Browning and Novotny did leave an invitation for senate members to participate in the conference.

“Right now, we have about 240 delegates registered to attend the conference,” said Browning, a senior family and consumer science major. “Which is a really great turnout.”

Tiffany Turner, a former student senate speaker, and an eight-semester student senate member also spoke about Camp New Hope during the audience participation.

“I think (the first meeting) went smoothly. I’m very impressed with the new senate (members),” said Jarrod Scherle, the student senate speaker. “Change isn’t pretty and it’s not easy.”

The next Student Senate meeting will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Arcola-Tuscola Room in the Martin King Jr. University Union.

Nike Ogunbodede can be reached at 581-2812

or ovogunbodede@eiu.edu

Kyle Scherle, student senate member, discusses UB special event budget allocations Wednesday evening in the Arcola/Tuscola room of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.(Robyn Dexter

(more…)