After debating more than it has on any other resolution this academic year, the Student Senate voted 21-7-2 to table a proposal opposing war against Iraq.

“I was disappointed it didn’t pass,” said sophomore Nathan Kalmoe, who wrote the resolution because he thinks war is a university issue. “But at the same time, I’m glad it was debated.”

Shortly after Kalmoe presented the issue at Monday night’s Senate meeting, a senator moved to dismiss it without debate.

“When people make moves like that, it is the antithesis of democracy,” Kalmoe said. “Democracy is about the free expression of ideas and they were trying to stop that by suppressing debate.”

Some senators said the resolution, which would show the Senate’s disapproval to war against Iraq, would set a precedent for organizations to go to Senate seeking support for other issues.

Other senators said the resolution was at least worth debating, which is what was decided after a vote.

The proposed resolution stated that “the Student Senate believes that a war against Iraq would be a serious mistake that would jeopardize the lives of UW-Eau Claire students, all U.S. citizens and countless people throughout the world.”

Kalmoe said war would pull students in reserve out of classes, be emotionally draining for students and possibly hurt education funding as military spending increased.

Although some senators said they agreed personally with the resolution, they said it wasn’t an issue Senate should take a stand on.

“I believe we are going too broad on this issue,” Director Craig Smith said during the debate. “We’re not here to solve all the world problems; we’re here to represent students.”

Treasurer Steven Pigeon said there was no evidence that the feelings in the resolution were the feelings of the student body as a whole.

But the system is designed to have a student go before the Senate, representing the student body, because the Senate can’t deal with each student individually, Kalmoe said.

“We don’t know how students really feel on any resolutions we’ve passed,” said Senator Rachel Boaz, who submitted the resolution with two other senators.

After further debate, Smith made a motion to table the resolution, stating that failing it could be viewed as Senate supporting a war with Iraq.

“It feels like they took the easy way out by deciding not to vote on it,” Kalmoe said, adding that he appreciated Senate debating it.