The Student Senate welcomed another Registered Student Organization to Eastern and discussed the upcoming attendance of Illinois State Senator Dale Righter during its Wednesday meeting.

The RSO is called Project L.I.N.K. and is a community service and education group.

The group’s mission statement states that it was created to “inspire our students by programming that is geared towards furthering and enhancing the knowledge of and participation in community service.”

Usually an RSO must go through a two-week process of presenting themselves to the senate and answering questions, followed by a vote the next week.

However, since Project L.I.N.K. had been waiting over a month to be voted on according to Outzen, an emergency bill was proposed and voted on during the same meeting to prevent further waiting.

Outzen said the senate did not have time to set up a presentation time between the group and the senate. He said it is one of the functions of the senate to allow new RSO’s on campus after the groups’ Constitution and bylaws have been approved.

Outzen also said other potential RSO’s will not get the same treatment, as bylaw revisions for next semester are going to create a charter system.

Under this system, the student affairs committee would have approved the RSO’s constitution and bylaws so the group can be voted on at that meeting.

Then, potential RSO’s will meet with the student affairs committee so they can skip part of the waiting period and be put on the consent agenda for the next student senate meeting.

It was also announced that State Senator Dale Righter will be coming to talk with the senate.

Student Body President Luke Young said it will be more of an informative meeting.

Young said it will be a time for Righter to answer questions on the new Illinois budget and how it affects the school and the upcoming race for governor.

Senators will also host “1st Thursday,” an event where students fill out suggestions about campus improvement, will be from 1 until 3 p.m. on Thursday Oct. 5 in front of the Doudna Steps.

Rebecca Cash, student vice president of academic affairs said her second installment of Prowlin’ with the Prez will be Pumpkins with the Prez. It is from 5 to 5:30 p.m. Oct. 23 in the library quad.

“Scratch pumpkin carving, it will be pumpkin painting, less weapons, injuries and guts, pumpkin guts,” Cash said.

Samuel Nusbaum can be reached at 581-2812 or at scnusbaum@eiu.edu.