The results of the fall 2024 SUNY New Paltz Student Senate election are in. The fall semester saw 229 students come together to cast their votes, welcoming 11 student senators to their new terms.
Among these newly-elected student senators are the likes of Star Torbert, senator of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Brian Boylan, senator of the School of Business.
In addition to these names, among the elected are class representatives, including Freshman Class Sen. Kat Murphy, Sophomore Class Sen. Duncan Higgins and Junior Class Sen. Niamh Clarke.
Basak Maraba secured the International Student Senator position, while commuter students are represented by two senators: Cooper Patschureck and Nadezhka Galaviz. Maraba was also in the running for senator of the School of Business, a position that ultimately went to Boylan. Maraba could have also taken on the role of Commuter Student Senator, as they collected enough votes, but opted to choose the international chair instead. Maraba also ran for Graduate Student Senator alongside School of Business Senator-elect Boylan.
Markus Meyerpflug has been elected for the most broad position on the senate: the representative for the student body as a whole. He will be serving as the At-Large Representative for the fall semester. Meyerpflug also ran for a number of other positions, including Senior Class Senator and Ashokan Hall Student Senator.
Last, but not least, are the residence hall representatives, with Ryan Crosby serving as the Ashokan Hall Student Senator and Shannon Tuohey serving as the Shawangunk Hall Student Senator. Ryan Crosby also ran for a position as At-Large Representative, though the seat ultimately was taken by Meyerpflug.
The student senate currently boasts a total of 17 members: the 11 elected this fall and six last spring. Despite the large turnout of new senators, several seats in the senate still remain vacant, including Senior Class and Graduate Student representatives. The senate position for the Fine and Performing Arts representative remains open as well, in addition to a litany of open seats for residence hall senators. Many of these open seats will be filled in due time, as the senate seeks to appoint more members via special appointments. Students who are interested in serving in the senate can reach out to the Senate Chair at sa-senatechair@newpaltz.edu for more information on the appointment process.
The Student Association Senate will continue to serve as the premier voice of the student body, working closely with the school board to ensure that student voices are heard on and off of campus. More information on the Student Association and the Student Senate can be found on newpaltz.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/senate. Meetings are held every Thursday from 5:00pm-7:00pm in SUB 62/63.