Student Senate members were appointed to two important

committees last week, a press release stated.

Marty Ruhaak was named to the Citizens Advisory Committee for

Coles County, while Dwight Nelson was appointed to the

university’s Parking Committee.

Ruhaak was named to the position by Mayor Dan Cougill at the

request of Hugh O’Hara, chair of the senate’s External

Relations Committee.

The Citizens Advisory Committee looks at many issues concerning

the county, including waste management and possible curbside

recycling, a press release stated. O’Hara said having a

student on the Citizens Advisory Committee would help to make a

longtime student goal of creating a student recycling program a

reality.

“For years, students have wanted curbside recycling throughout

the town,” O’Hara said.

Ruhaak said the appointment fulfills a life-long dream to be

involved in city government.

“I’ve always wanted to be a part of this,” he said.

O’Hara said he believed it was the first time a student was

appointed to a county board.

Nelson will fill a new Parking Committee seat created for off-

campus and commuter students by the President’s Council, a

press release stated.

The parking committee, composed of faculty, staff,

administrators and students, deals with parking issues such as

tickets and designating certain areas as “student” or “faculty”

parking.

“They deal with who gets to park where,” O’Hara said.

The President’s Council changed Eastern’s internal governing

policy to create the new position.

O’Hara said the new position, one of four student positions on

the 10-member committee, will help to give students more of a

say in parking policy.

“(Students) pay an overwhelming amount of money that goes into

paying for parking,” O’Hara said. “While I feel (students) are

still underrepresented (on the Parking Committee), this is a

good step in getting better student representation on that

board.”

The Student Senate approved Ruhaak’s appointment at Wednesday’s

meeting while Nelson’s appointment was approved during the

previous meeting.

O’Hara said the appointments were a significant achievement for

Eastern students.

“I know that it doesn’t seem that exciting, but it’s a pretty

big deal,” O’Hara said. “We got a student on a county board and

we got internal governing policy changed.”