The Student Government will not support a tuition increase, named a new speaker and passed a motion to further enforce a diversity requirement within senate.

A request by interim President Lou Hencken for Student Government approval of the proposed 3.5 percent increase in tuition was rejected in a meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Arcola-Tuscola Room of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

“Yeah it’s going to happen anyway, but that doesn’t mean we have to be a part of it,” said senate member Dwight Nelson.

The tuition increase is an option many Illinois Universities are choosing in response to budget cuts by the state after the recent economic downswing.

Senate member Bill Davidson was voted new speaker of the senate for next year.

Davidson, a sophomore political science major, defeated freshmen undeclared major Jeff Collier. Davidson has previously served as University Development and Recycling Committee chair.

“Bill will tell you how it is from a students perspective,” Student Body President-elect Alison Mormino said.

New student senate members were also named along with new University Board Chair Caleb Judy and Vice Chair Ryan Rinchuiso.

Senate members who do not attend at least one diversity-themed event will face harsher penalties next fall.

Senate members now must fill the diversity requirement before mid-semester, or face the equivalent of one committee meeting absence, a third of the penalty of one senate absence.

Diversity requirements not met by the end of the semester count as one senate meeting absence. Three senate meeting absences result in expulsion from senate.

“I know some people say you shouldn’t force anybody, but sometimes the government has to force people,” said senate member Tim Edwards. “Because if it wasn’t for desegregation or the abolition of slavery, where would I be now?”

The senate approved an Apportionment Board recommendation to allocate $14,841 to the Student Recreation Center to fund equipment and student payroll.

The senate agreed that Campus Recreation Director Ken Baker did an adequate job budgeting the proposed allocation and that he “made a dollar out of a quarter.”

The Student Government chose to support a bylaw proposed by student members of the Parking Committee that will help to initiate a push for more student parking along the softball field in the lot next to Stevenson Hall and Lantz Arena.

“I’ve been on the parking committee for the last two years, and the students want more parking,” senate member Amy Leonard said.

The senate decided unanimously to officially thank Hencken for his support and caring attitude toward the student body.

Katie Cox, audience member and Illinois Board of Higher Education Student Advisory Committee chair, briefly spoke to clarify rumors that a new university president . Cox said a new Eastern President “has not, and will not, be announced.”

John Cavanaugh, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of North Carolina- Wilmington, is not in the running for Eastern presidency.

“The (Charleston Times Courier) announced that John Cavanaugh is no longer a candidate,” Cox said.

The senate named Marty Ruhaak Senator of the Year and Donna Fernandez Senator of the Semester. Ruhaak served as external relations committee chair and Fernandez served as student relations committee chair.

Finally, the Student Government said their farewells for the year and forever for those student government members who are graduating.

Many of the farewells were accompanied by tears and laughter as members acknowledged lasting friendships and fun times.