The Charleston Police Department is working to disable the photo comment feature on its Facebook page after Student Senate members said the comments had a negative affect on the university.

At the Feb. 8 Student Senate meeting, the members discussed how the Facebook page reflects a negative image on students and allows anyone to comment on the mug shots of accused individuals.

One of the issues brought up was that the profile picture on the Facebook page is a police car in front of Old Main.

Student Senate Speaker Zach Samples said a group of Student Senate members spoke to Daniel Nadler, the vice president for student affairs, about their concerns with the Facebook page and they communicated with Chief Bryan Baker through email.

“We had planned on having our own meeting with the chief, but we do not have to as he made his decision after talking to Dr. Nadler,” Samples said.

During the Student Senate meeting on Wednesday, Samples said the Charleston Police Department will meet to internally discuss the matter of the Facebook page.

The meeting was informal and condensed as the Student Senate members were all required to attend the “Blue Out” event at the men’s basketball game at 7 p.m.

At the “Blue Out” event at the men’s basketball game, the Student Senate members sat together, manned spirit tables, dressed in Eastern spirit gear and passed out cans of the Monster energy drink that was donated.

At the meeting, the group unanimously passed all three proposals to freeze 6 percent of funds from the Student Senate, the University Board and the Student Recreation Center budgets.

The freezes were approved by the Apportionment Board and were given to the Student Senate to vote on.

Jarrod Scherle, the student executive vice president, used the meeting as opportunity to kick off his letter writing campaign for the Student Action Team’s lobby day in April. Schrele is lobbying for a new science building for Eastern.

“It starts now,” Scherle said. “It gives me two months to reach my goal, which is 1,000 letters.”

Scherle said he received 80 signed letters during the Student Senate meeting.

The next Student Senate meeting will take place on Feb. 21 in the Arcola-Tuscola Room of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

Amy Wywialowski can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].