Commemorative T-shirts sponsored by Student Senate will be handed out on the Oval the day before Election Day.

“It’s a historical event,” said Alesha Gilleland, treasurer. “Never ever again will you have a black man running for president or a woman vice president – we are part of history.”

The $1000 appropriation comes out of the $24,000 budget Senate had to begin the year. Any registered student organization can make a request for up to $1000 of funding each semester. During the Oct. 15 meeting Senate awarded funds to Delta Epsilon Chi and themselves.

Gilleland noted that althought they have never done so before, as a student organization they are eligible for funds. A vote earlier this year dropped the requirement that they suspend the rules to allocate money to their own organization.

The Vote 2008 shirts passed with less than two minutes of discussion. The second part of the vote – which name to put on top – was more heated.

“Somebody is not going to be like ‘Gee I read his name first so I’m voting for him,'” said Matt Day, parliamentarian, “That person is probably not going to vote.”

By majority vote McCain’s name will be listed first and Obama will be second. The group hopes to print 200 to 250 shirts and distribute them on the Oval before election day.

As part of an ongoing discussion of cost-saving ideas in Senate members took up the question of creating a four-day school week. The idea had been floated in discussion boards and casual conversation, but as a measure it had few supporters.

Proponents for recommending the four-day week said it would create cost savings with lights off and little to no need for staffing.

Other students pointed to the increasing importance of attendance during Monday/Wednesday classes and questioned how labs would be scheduled. The Senate vote not to include a four-day week in the recommendations which they hope to collect and evaluate before bringing their recommendations to the administration and Board of Governors.

During the meeting Senate opened its junior and senior seats to any class standing. New members are: Larissa Cross, freshman political science major; James Kelly, freshman psychology major; Brittany Langdon, sophomore political science major; Grant Bricker, senior political science major; and Patrick Link, senior criminal justice major.

There is still one seat left on Student Senate.