Student Senate has welcomed two new faces around the table. First-year Krystle Thai and sophomore Ekta Haria were sworn in last Thursday to serve as Diversity Interest Senator-At Large and Diversity Interest Senator, respectively.
Thai and Haria will serve the remainder of the 2011-12 session. Their appointments came after Diversity Interest Senator-At Large Tanaya Thomas and Diversity Interest Senator Ankita Dhussa both resigned earlier this semester.
Treasurer Zach Keller announced that the Student Fees Allocation Committee has completed budget hearings for the upcoming school year. The preliminary budget will be released March 16 with the final budget to be voted on at the April 12 Student Senate meeting.
Sen. David Karaz reported that attendance at the J-Term information fair suggested even larger interest than expected.
“I do understand that there will be people who will not get into a J-Term,” Karaz said. “But we can ensure that the registration process will be fair.”
Karaz said there would potentially be a second J-Term registration round for students who were not initially accepted into a class.
Prior notice was served on two bylaw amendments. Both the First-Year Interest Committee Amendment and the Drake Student Senate Student Affairs Handbook Amendment to Address Ad Hoc Organizations will come before a Senate vote next week.
The First-Year Interest Committee Amendment will assign each member of the committee to be an intern to a senator for the year. The Student Affairs Handbook Amendment to Address Ad Hoc Organizations would essentially make it easier for temporary organizations to establish themselves on campus; for example, a student organization supporting a particular political candidate.
Since last Thursday’s agenda was brief, current senators and new executive-elects Amanda Laurent, Karaz and Carly Kinzler took the time to express some of their goals for the upcoming school year.
“I really want to look at Senate structure internally and rethink how things are done — making sure we are working most effectively for the student body,” Student Body President-elect Laurent said. “I really want to question the familiar.”
Karaz said that he wants to improve communication.
“I want to help build a structure that allows us to consistently communicate with other leadership organizations on campus,” Vice President of Student Life-elect Karaz said.
Kinzler said that she wants to improve programming.
“I’d really like to look at continuing the large scale programming we have brought to campus recently,” Vice President of Student Activities-elect Kinzler said.