The Student Association voted almost unanimously to approve two new student organizations at last night’s meeting, the second of the school year.

The Quiz Bowl Association and Expressions, Inc. both came before the senate to petition for SA recognition, which would allow the groups access to certain NIU resources for organizational use. Both were approved almost unanimously, with only one abstention between the two votes.
Quiz Bowl, also known as Academic Bowl or Scholastic Bowl, is an academic sport which aims to recognize academic and intellectual ability in the same way campus athletics recognize physical prowess.

The association’s goal is to host quiz bowl tournaments on campus, which would bring teams from schools across the state to NIU to compete. Events cover subjects from all academic fields, from literature to science.

“We are ecstatic,” said Kristin Strey, the president of the Quiz Bowl Association. “We’ve been trying for a couple of years and it’s wonderful to finally have approval.”

The only requirement for prospective members to join Quiz Bowl is that they be registered in one class to demonstrate their affilation with the university. This is standard in most quiz bowl circuits, Strey said.

Expressions, Inc. was the second group to lobby the SA Senate for recognition. Expressions’ stated goal is to provide an outlet for students to express creativity in the arts and offer them a place to develop their skills. The organization meets every Tuesday night and hopes to host talent shows and other events.

“Our purpose is to get people to step out of their shells,” said Ariel Hamilton, a representative of the group and an SA senator.

During the meeting, which ran about an hour, the SA also confirmed the appointments of the president pro tempore and the executive officers of the student government.

Officers each offered a short presentation to the senators describing their job duties, summer projects, and plans for the year. The senate then voted to approve the officers, which they did unanimously.

Next week, the SA will begin voting on senators-at-large. Interested students can lobby the SA Senate in an effort to take one of the nine vacant senate seats.

Pat Talley, Speaker of the Senate, also announced that he will soon be meeting with SA President Robert Sorsby to discuss community service opportunities for the SA. This year, senators are required to complete five hours of community service.

Student Association meets at 6 p.m. every Sunday night in the Sky Room of the Holmes Student Center.

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