The student senate will approve five new senators in its first official meeting today at 7 p.m.

Jason Sandidge, the speaker of the senate, is ready to begin a new senate term.

“We’ve been gone all summer, you know, people have kinda relaxed and now it’s time to get our heads back in the game,” Jason Sandidge said.

During the first senate meeting, the senate will approve Alex Boyd, Tommy Nierman, Holly Henry, and Alex J. Cler as new senators.

“Seven of our 20 senators are new senators and that’s quite a bit,” Sandidge said.

According to Eastern’s website, 10 on campus senators, 10 off campus senators, and 10 at large senators make up the student senate. The student senators, as well as students, can draft their own resolutions and present them during the audience participation portion of the agenda.

“I look forward to meeting everybody and I hope that everybody works hard,” Michelle Murphy, student body president said.

Murphy, who is required to attend meetings, will present her Student Body President executive report along with Aaron Wiessing, executive vice president; Jennifer Prillaman, vice president for academic affairs; Dan Rolando, vice president for student affairs; and Ashley Hoogstraten, vice president for business affairs.

“It’s hard to get people to come out at seven o’clock on a Tuesday night,” Sandidge said.

Sandidge is hoping to get more students in attendance for upcoming senate meetings. With a high average of five students in attendance, Sandidge hopes to get 10 or more people to participate in the open forum.

“We have a time that students can come and talk to the senate and I highly recommend that they do that,” Sandidge said.

The first student senate meeting is Sept. 1 at 7 p.m. in the Arcola-Tuscola Room of the Martin Luther King Jr.

University Union

Nike Ogunbodede can be reached at 581-7942 or

[email protected].