The 57th annual student senate met for the first time on Wednesday, Jan. 29 in Student Union (SU) building room 418 at 8 p.m.
The Senate began by going over the rules and procedures that are followed.
Student Association President Manuel Tejada started by giving SA some advice.
“You are a senate body, you are a student body,” he said. “Sometimes your personal ideology might not agree with the majority, but it’s always good to come together as a senate.”
Executive Vice President Zachary Rousseas spoke about his ideas for this coming semester.
“I have a ton of ideas, so I need to start manifesting it somehow,” Rousseas said.
Rousseas also said that one of his major goals for the semester is to get health care on campus to cover gender identity, because there is a stipulation that it is not currently covered.
The University Police Department (UPD) Committee met Monday and discussed the marijuana policy on campus, Rousseas said.
The Constitutional Rules Committee (CRC) met Tuesday to put together an alumni affairs committee which should be in order before March.
Student Association Productions (SAP) announced that the top four potential artists for the Spring concert have been chosen. They also said that the goal for the concert is to have two artists.
SAP is composed of 10 people who are in charge of putting the concert together. The group meets every Monday at 7 p.m.
Curriculum Committee meets every Wednesday at 3 p.m. in room 225 of the Fine Arts Building.
SA Advisor Mike Patterson offered advice to the new Senate.
“I hope you feel proud that you are sitting in this room. You are representing 8,000 students which is a huge privilege and sometimes that might mean that your opinion may not be consistent with the greater student body. Sometimes you may need to back down. Sometimes you may need to step forward,” Patterson said.
The Budget and Finance Committee (BFC) will meet every Thursday at 9:30 p.m. The committee of 10 members consists of five senators and five non-senators who sit on a table that people come to with proposals for events they are trying to have on campus. The committee then decides if they have the money to see if the program can happen.
The Constitutional Rules Committee (CRC) is currently working on a bill that will set up an alumni affairs committee.
Elections were held for Academic Senate, Curriculum committee, SAP and CRC.
By Maddie Anthony