ASMSU is moving forward with plans to establish a scholarship and to rededicate its conference room in honor of the late Charles Beachnau.

Beachnau, who was the MSU undergraduate student government's association director, died in June of a heart attack. He was 43.

ASMSU has been working on a memorial for Beachnau since the fall when it established the Charles Beachnau Memorial Committee.

The scholarship has not been written, but would go toward freshmen, sophomore and junior student leaders who are a part of ASMSU or other student groups without representation in the organization, Student Assembly Chairperson Matt Weingarden said.

Recipients of the scholarship could receive up to $500 and have their name placed on an official plaque in the organization's conference room.

Weingarden said ASMSU is trying to find a source of funding for the scholarship.

Andrew Schepers, Student Assembly representative for the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, said the scholarship would go to students who exemplified Beachnau's leadership.

Offering it to students in groups not represented in ASMSU assemblies is important, he said.

"We're trying to catch the people that go through the cracks," Schepers said.

The money sounds like a good idea to Michael Mallon, president of the student group the Chuckling tSuNaMiS.

"Yeah, that sounds awesome," Mallon said. "Who wouldn't sign up for 500 bucks?"

ASMSU officials also are hoping to change the name of their conference room in Student Services in honor of Beachnau.

But the organization cannot change the name of the room until it passes through groups such as the University Advisory Committee on the Naming of Buildings and Facilities, MSU President M. Peter McPherson and the MSU Board of Trustees.

Beachnau proposed the idea of updating the conference room last summer and the organization plans to carry out his goals by purchasing technology units, furniture and wall fixtures to better accommodate other student groups who use the facility.

A fund-raising campaign is in the works to set up a fund to provide Beachnau's two children with money to pay for their college education.

"Charles had an amazing vision for this organization," said Kristen Daddow, Academic Assembly representative for the College of Agriculture and Natural Science.

Beachnau, who was an environment economics senior, was involved in other organizations such as the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity, IM sports and the Liberty Hyde Bailey Scholars Program in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Prior to attending MSU, he served as an Army captain in the Persian Gulf War.

"Charles was involved in so many things," Schepers said. "It was a big loss."