The spirit rally “Blue Unite” will support the Eastern football team on Saturday.

The Student Senate members discussed the different contests they are going to have for Eastern students and children during their meeting Wednesday.

Ashley Aardsma, the student affairs committee chairwoman and a senior kinesiology and sports studies major, said they will be having three contests during the games.

Students can enter the contest “Are you better than Billy?” to show their school spirit.

Student Senate members will have a sign-up sheet at the student entrance to O’Brien Stadium.

Aardsma said a member will take a picture, and the top three who are showing the most school spirit will be taken down to the track during the first 30-second timeout of the third quarter.

Each person will dance for five seconds, and the audience will cheer for the person they believe should win.

Students can also submit a cheer/chant that is about 20 to 60 seconds long.

Submissions can be sent to Aardsma at HYPERLINK “mailto:aaaardsma@eiu.edu”aaaardsma@eiu.edu by 4 p.m. on Friday.

The first 15 children from kindergarden to fourth grade will be able to be “Billy’s Little Buddies.”

Children can sign up near the ticket booths.

Student Body President Kaci Abolt, a senior communication studies major, said she is excited to see the atmosphere of the game.

“They couldn’t have picked a better day to have ‘Blue Unite’ because we are honoring our seniors that day because it is the last home game,” Abolt said. “The whole team has been so fantastic.”

The Student Senate also voted to purchase a tree that will be planted on campus.

The tree and labor to plant it will cost $250, and a stone with the student government logo on it will cost $138.

Dan White, the university development and recycling chairman and an author for the proposal, said they have been trying to plant the tree for a while.

“It’s a little too late to try off campus as well so that’s not really an option,” White said. “It’s really now or never.”

Abolt said the location has not been picked yet.

“That is the responsibilities of facilities, planning and management,” Abolt said. “We don’t have full control over where it is placed because it depends on where they need one that goes with the landscape plan that they already have.”

The Student Senate tabled a resolution to spend $160 for expenses to send members of the Student Action Team to Springfield to lobby on Eastern’s behalf.

Elections for Student Senate members for next semester will be Monday and Tuesday.

Abolt said an email will be sent out to all the students with a link to the polls.

Samantha McDaniel can be reached at 581-2812 or slmcdaniel@eiu.edu.