Student Senate searches for senators

Analicia Haynes, Administration Editor

The student government is still looking for new senators as their outreach week comes to an end and the preparations for student senate orientation kick off.

Maralea Negron, the student speaker of the senate, said she received eight applications so far and, after losing a handful of senators from last semester, she said there are 15 available seats this semester.

“I already knew at least three or four senators weren’t coming back but it was shocking to find out it was more than that,” Negron said.

Negron said senators left as a result of class conflicts, poor grades or they received a different job.

“Spring semester is harder for students to get involved,” Negron said. “People leave senate because they went over their heads in the fall and student government is a time commitment and it’s something you have to be passionate about.

Negron said the student senate must have at least 16 senators this semester in order to meet quorum.

“We definitely want to shoot for quorum and it’s definitely possible because we have a decent amount of senators who are returning,” Negron said.

Negron said student senate is a time commitment and future senators need to be dedicated to student government and not in so many organizations.

“We’re looking for quality over quantity,” Negron said.

Although the senate must meet quorum in order to pass legislation and have an official vote on student government matters, Negron said she wants a full senate.

Throughout the week the student government has put on several events in order to make themselves known to the student body as well as recruit new senators.

Unlike last semester, Negron said the idea for outreach week was to reflect the different committees in student senate.

“Tuesday, for instance, we had faculty senate thank you’s and it was an opportunity for students to write thank you notes to a faculty or a staff member,” Negron said. “That was directly correlated to academic affairs.”

The student government outreach week will end Friday with senators handing out blow pops and marketing flyers trying to recruit senators during their classes.

Negron said she would like to keep orientation the same as last semester just with a few minor changes to the way some information is presented.

She said she wants to open orientation with an ice breaker and an aptitude test called “True Colors” for senators in order to figure out what type of leader they.

The student government will be accepting applications until Jan. 26 and student senate orientation will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 27 in the Tuscola-Arcola room of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

 

Analicia Haynes can be reached at 581-2812 or at [email protected]