The Student Senate will hear nominations for Speaker of the Senate during their meeting Wednesday. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. in 7th Street Underground at the Martin Luther King Junior University Union.

The process for electing a new Speaker of the Senate is as follows, per the Student Senate Bylaws:

1) Candidates shall be required to inform the Student Body President of their intent to run in the elections prior to the day of nominations.

2) Each candidate intending to run for the Speaker position will be required to meet with the Student Body President or advisers prior to the day of Speaker nominations.

3) The election shall be governed by Robert’s Rules of Order – Newly Revised.

4) All candidates shall be required to serve one full semester before running for the Speaker position. This semester does not have to be the previous semester.

5) The candidate must be an elected member of the Senate the semester they intend to run for the Speaker position.

6) In the event that there are more than two nominees for the Speaker position, the Student Senate will hold a primary election.

7) The two candidates who have received the most votes will move on to the general election. In the case of a tie between two or more candidates in the primary election, there will be a runoff election between the candidates who have tied.

8) They will each be allowed a redress of their platform; however, if they so desire, either candidate may opt out of their redress. Following this, the Senate floor will be opened for discussion. After the discussion has concluded, another vote will be tallied.

The Speaker of the Senate serves as the presiding officer of the Senate and the Chairperson of the Council of Chairs, delivers a State of the Senate address each semester, maintains senator information, appoints chairpersons to standing committees that are voted on by the Senate, is responsible for ruling senators off the role if they are in conflict with the Student Body Constitution or the Student Senate Bylaws and are responsible for voting when necessary to constitute a majority or two-thirds vote.

Currently, Executive Vice President Payton Ade is serving as Interim Speaker of the Senate. They have been doing so since the start of the year and will continue in the position until it is filled.

The Senate will also vote on appointing several people to committees:

• Billie Frazier to the University Naming Committee
• Lashay Powell to the Sexual Assault Task Force
• Tamia Flowers to the Sexual Assault Prevention Team
• Jason Tabit, Grace West, Carolyn Karns, and Kayla Crowder to the Council of Student Deans

The Senate will hear from its adviser, Director of Student Life Ceci Brinker and graduate adviser Justin Richards.

Executive reports will be given by Student Body President Jacqueline Williams, Executive Vice President and Interim Speaker of the Senate Payton Ade, Student Vice President of Academic Affairs Prabin Karki and Student Vice President of Student Affairs Terrence Trimuel.

Iyanna Stanton contributed to this article.

Corryn Brock can be reached at 581-2812 or at [email protected].