Senate suffers from lack of numbers, student interest
By Beth Walton
Staff Writer

It almost seems like war, a war between the student body and its governing force, Student Senate. This semester, the senate faced a problem it had never faced before; it was hardly able to fill all 13 open seats.

Only eight students took part in the campaign. The remaining five spots were filled as write-ins, students who were asked to join because of their campus involvement and relevant skills.

Student Senate's reputation has a lot to do with its recruiting problems, said Jeremy Szucs, Brunswick, Ohio junior and former senator. "A lot of the general impression towards senate from the student body is that they don't do anything." Szucs served on the senate for two years and recently resigned this semester because of other obligations.

"The apathy of students and the conflicts that senate faces cause people to become disenchanted," said Evan Hawker, Brighton sophomore and chief financial officer of the Senate. "Most of the campus views the senate as a closed club that [is not] representative of the students. And, in turn, the student body feels the senate does not care what they want."

Former senators have expressed that the formality of the meetings, including the use of Parliamentary Procedure, makes meetings long, unproductive and boring. "[Such procedures] could portray an image of being boring," said Hawker. "But, the reason these formal procedures are in place is so everyone can be heard."

Another reason for this portrayal is Monday night meetings aren't meant to accomplish things. "They are meant for communication," said Senate President Kimberly Hurd, Noblesville, Ind. junior. "It is the individual committee meetings that get the good work done, general meetings are to communicate with other committees."

Senate recognizes its reputation and is doing everything in its power to improve. "We recently conducted a survey of over 100 people on campus, having them list their concerns, such as faculty and student affairs. This gives us a good direction to go from," Hurd said.

Senate plans to improve communicationnext semester by involving more of the student body. Members are trying to get representatives from all the campus organizations to contribute to senate. "This way every group has the opportunity to be heard," said Eddie Visco, Sterling Heights freshman and member of the senate.

Student Senate is calling for help. Members are desperately trying to overcome their reputation and show the student body that they do make a difference, and they do care what the students want.

"It's really a two part thing," Hawker said. Senate needs to improve the way it runs meetings, but the student body needs to take a little responsibility to come to meetings and make change on their own." Szucs added,"It's a vicious cycle. No one is there because they don't think senate can do anything for them, and senate can't do anything for them because nobody is there."