The Student Senate approved two Registered Student Organizations and listened to a guest speaker Wednesday evening at their meeting in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

EIU Line Dancing and The Lincoln Hall Council were the two RSOs approved at Wednesday’s meeting.

N’Keyah Taylor, president of EIU Line Dancing, said she volunteered for three years as a line dancing instructor in her hometown of Peoria.

“I thought I’d bring what I love at home here and get others involved,” Taylor said.

Taylor said the club is a way for people to exercise without going to the gym.

She said the club is a no judgment zone, meaning that if someone doesn’t know how to dance they are not judged or turned away.

Tatierra Baker, vice president of the club, said she loves to line dance.

“We love to share our background with others,” Baker said.

Taylor and Baker gave a quick demonstration on a dance they were working on. The two stepped and twirled in sequence in front of the senators.

EIU Line Dancing meets twice a week on Monday nights and Saturday mornings and members learn a new dance every week.

“We want to start big next semester,” Taylor said.

Mariah Weghorst, president of the Lincoln Hall Council, said the goal of the council is to make a warm, inviting and accepting community for residents.

“We just want to create a community in Lincoln Hall that promotes positivity and a comfortable setting where people feel at home,” Weghorst said.

The Lincoln Hall Council meets twice a week for executive members and once a week at a general assembly meeting.

Weghorst said that by being in a RSO, members and residents get the opportunity to have communication across campus.

“We want to be on the same gage as everyone else.” Weghorst said. ”It will give us the opportunity to keep in touch.”

The Student Senate heard from guest speaker Alison Maley, a former student body president.

Maley graduated from Eastern in 2002 with her Bachelors degree in political science and again in 2010 with her Masters in political science.

Currently, Maley serves as the Governmental Relations and Public Relations Director for the Illinois Principals Association, an organization that represents over 5,000 Illinois principals.

Maley spoke about what she gained in her time as a member in student government and how her experience helped her in the real world.

“For me, I think we had things we wanted to do to try to help make the campus a better place,” Maley said.

Maley said the biggest skills that she took away from student government were learning how to work with other people and event planning.

These events include the Bucket Brigade, which is now called Panther Service Day.

Maley said senators represent the student’s opinion but they have to do their homework and make sure what they say is backed up by the students.

Bryce Mullins, chairman for the student alumni relations committee introduced Maley and asked if she had any tips to impart on the “young scholars” that made up the Student Senate.

“If you have a vision, I’d run with it. You guys can really make a difference,” Maley said.

Maley encouraged senators to enjoy what they are doing now and think about how they can take the skills they are learning in student government and use them in their future.

Analicia Haynes can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected]