With the creation of a council for Recognized Student Organizations by the Student Senate, many RSOs say they will finally be able to play an active part in university affairs.

Before a bylaw change passed the senate last week, RSOs were represented in the senate on an individual basis — one senate member represented one RSO. However, as there are 132 RSOs and only 31 senate members, Marty Ruhaak, co-sponsor of the bylaw change, said the old system did not do enough to represent all the RSOs.

“We should make an effort to represent everyone,” Ruhaak said.

Now a delegate from each of the RSOs will be invited to a monthly council meeting, where they can discuss issues with Speaker of the Senate Adam Weyhaupt and five senate members he will appoint.

Ruhaak said that of the 51 RSOs he talked to, 44 said they supported the proposal.

The seven RSOs that disagreed, Ruhaak said, were concerned that the senate members who already represented them would stop coming to their meetings once the council was created.

Ruhaak said the council would likely lead to a decrease in senate members attending RSO meetings.

“(The decrease) is the price you’ve got to pay to get everyone involved,” he said. “It’s just a matter of initiative on the part of senators. There’s nothing that prevents senators from going to RSO meetings.”

Rachel Baker, president of E.A.R.T.H club, one of the RSOs that was without senate representation, said the council is a good idea.

“(Under the old system), we didn’t know anything besides what we read in the paper,” Baker said. “The RSOs need to be involved with the university since they are part of the university.”

Several senate members who pitched the idea to the RSOs they represent received positive feedback as well.

Senate member Jen Fanthorpe said when she discussed the idea of a RSO Council with Circle K, her RSO, she received very positive feedback.

“There were several people (at Circle K) willing to be delegates (to the Council),” Fanthorpe said.

Delta Sigma Phi, senate member Seth Quin’s RSO, liked the idea as well, Quin said.

Ruhaak said he will meet with Campus Scheduling tomorrow to discuss the date for the first RSO Council meeting.

“I’m going to try to make it the last week in February,” Ruhaak said.