Undergraduate Student Government senators passed a resolution supporting the Amtrak train route linking Chicago to Carbondale Wednesday, saying the route is vital to student transportation across the state.

The senate also issued a mandate to bring a grass roots organizing weekend to SIUC to encourage student voting.

USG President Kim Clemens started the meeting with a State of the Student Address, which described how the loss of Amtrak could not be allowed because she said it would be detrimental to SIUC and Carbondale.

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The risk is too great and potentially devastating to the SIU community, Clemens said. We cannot stand for it. We are taking a direct hit, and we need to take a position.

Due to federal budget cuts, Amtrak has asked Illinois legislators for a $2.5 million subsidy to fund the Illini route through June 30.

Clemens said it was time to take action, and she said USG is starting a campaign to save Amtrak, lobbying Gov. Jim Edgar to provide funding for the route.

USG Chief of Staff Scott Pfeiffer said there are four phases to the campaign.

Phase one is a petition drive where each USG senator needs to fill out three petition sheets opposing Amtrak cuts, and phase two is to fax USG’s stand on the cuts to Gov. Jim Edgar and the Illinois Transportation Committee, Pfeiffer said.

Phase three will start next week with a computer on the main floor of the Student Center where students can type their opposition to Amtrak cuts on a previously typed letter which will automatically be sent to their state representative, Pfeiffer said.

Pfeiffer said phase four is to contact every student government body president at every university in Illinois affected by the loss of Amtrak and ask them to sign a petition.

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Another item on the agenda causing a lot of discussion was a mandate to bring a grass roots organizing weekend, which would be used to stimulate SIUC student voting, to the University. Even though the mandate was eventually passed with two amendments, there was some questions raised regarding funding for the weekend.

Troy Alim, USG senator from Evergreen Terrace, supported the mandate he co-wrote and explained that the cost for a grass roots weekend would be about $2,500.

Alim said if SIUC could get other universities to participate in the weekend, the cost would be a drop in the bucket.

Jemal Powell, USG senator from the College of Mass Communication and Media Arts and co-writer of the mandate, said the mandate should be passed because it calls for an end to student apathy.

SIU students tend to be apathetic voters, Powell said. We want to get students involved, and passing this bill will accomplish that.

Also passed at the meeting was a resolution for USG to join Illinois Students United for Responsible Government in Education, a conference where public colleges in Illinois discuss issues that affect them.