Plymouth, N.H.- Student Senate elections were held on September 21st outside of the Hartman Union Building, filling positions for first year Senate Representatives as well as Senate positions that were left unfilled last spring.
The following students were elected for Senate positions: Eric Bonnett as the Smith Hall representative, Mellisa Fales and Catherine Deluca as First Year representatives, Ryan Rush as the Sophomore class representative, and Kelley Thompson as the Off-Campus representative.
According to Peter Laufenberg, student body president, about 5 percent of the University’s population voted. While the numbers are not impressive, this is the average amount of votes for fall elections. Student Senate is currently in the process of getting the spring elections online, with a single goal in mind: getting more people involved in voting. Laura Ellis, Student Senate vice president feels that this will increase voter turnout, because of the convenience.
This semester, the campus has a lot to look forward to from the Senate. There are plans for more interaction with the campus. “Overall, our big goal is more constituent interaction so we are better able to make decisions based on the needs and wants of the student body,” says Ellis. This includes being more involved in the campus media and town hall, in regards to the state of the campus.
The Senate is hoping to provide more events to encourage students to become involved in their community, as well as programs that will enable students to learn about the surrounding political communities, and realize how they play a role in them.
According to Ellis, the Student Senate will be sponsoring voter registration and awareness events on campus throughout the month of October. “We hope students will see their important value in the political spectrum,” stated Ellis in a recent interview.
PSU students will be able to register to vote in Plymouth or receive absentee ballots for their home states, respectively. “The upcoming presidential election is a crucial one, and it is important that all voices can be heard…it is a very exciting time for us,” stated Ellis.
The Senate will also be addressing and working on the high textbook prices. This includes the possibility of Senate holding a town hall meeting. They are also looking into a program where students can swap books online, or buy them at reduced prices.
Finally the Senate will be further promoting the Go Green campaign. According to Ellis, “[Go Green] represents the idea that we will do everything we can to make the best decisions in order to maintain a sustainable campus for generations to come. We are privileged to go to school in such a beautiful environment with plenty of opportunities to enjoy it- from the mountains to the Pemi, it is essential that we do whatever we can to protect it.”
The Student Senate has a heavy hand in decision- making on campus. The Senate is in charge of distributing over a million dollars to clubs and organizations to satisfy the interests of students. The senators also attend academic committee meetings with professors and other administrators to speak on the student body’s behalf.
Laufenberg recently stated, “Voting in any representative democracy is important. You are choosing the people that are going to speak on your behalf and make decision that are important to you.”