The Undergraduate Student Government Senate decided to reduce its size last night.

The number of senators will be reduced from the current 34 to 25, which will mean one senator will represent every 1,250 students. The new size will take effect during the next USG election on April 1.

The size of the USG Senate has caused problems in the past, said USG Senate President Joe Atkinson. Larger groups cause members to be less interested and motivated, he said.

The USG Senate currently has a problem with getting things done and keeping members involved, Atkinson said. With fewer members, the remaining senators have a better chance to be involved and are more accountable to the rest of the body, he added.

Something had to be done to make the USG Senate more active, agreed West Halls Senator Kelly Glazier. The strength of the USG Senate should not lie in its size, but in its activity, Glazier added.

But some senators feared the loss of members would mean less work would get done, not more.

"A reduction of the senate will mean a reduction of potential," said Town Senator Mike Gillespie.

A smaller USG Senate also means less diversity, said East Halls Senator Paul Yacisin, adding that reducing the USG Senate size sends the message that it is an elitist body.

But another resolution passed last night may help students get more involved with the USG Senate's work.

The resolution gives the USG Senate president the power to establish an executive support staff to work with senators on projects.

Only the senators will be representing their constituents and voting in the USG Senate, but students who are not senators will have an opportunity to work in student government and gain experience as staffers, Atkinson said.

In other business, the USG Senate passed a resolution to send a letter to the Board of Directors of The Daily Collegian expressing concern over the column by sports writer Chino Wilson that appeared in the paper on Jan. 28.

The letter condemns any act of intolerance involving students and expresses disagreement with the editors' decision to run the column.

The USG Senate has a responsibility to stand up against violence, said West Halls Senator Andy Ovies.