Welcome to the Student Senate.

Students elected 13 new senate members last week to represent them, giving fresh faces an opportunity to truly stand up for the student body.

The 13 members were chosen to serve next semester, completing a group of 30 total lobbying in the best interests of those who live on and off campus.

Senate members push for student interests every day, hold public meetings to talk about issues once a week and travel to Springfield to show legislators how important the university is to those who live and work here.

The members generally just act as faces of the student body, a go-between, individuals students can turn to with university concerns.

Or are those just ideal jobs of a Student Senate member?

This semester members had accomplishments. They passed a resolution against the Board of Trustee’s decision to end the university presidential search early because it stopped short in allowing more campus input.

The Senate recently created a mentoring program for new members and passed a resolution against more tailgating restrictions, even though it failed initially.

Still, senate hasn’t always focused on students. Newly elected senate members, whether if they’ve served on senate before, now have a chance to fine tune their attention.

Early in the semester members made a habit of wanting to adjourn meetings early and even changed the amount of votes it took to end their weekly gathering ahead of schedule.

Members spent time discussing an end to passing notes to each other during senate meetings.

Senate members need to remember their place in the university, and now is an opportunity for them to embrace it; they started serving in their positions Wednesday.

Eastern values advisory committees like the Student Senate. There is also a Faculty Senate, and the opinions and recommendations of both bodies are taken into account in university policy and decisions.

Student Senate members have a voice other students don’t have, and they’re never too new on the job to realize that.