These past couple weeks brought with them not only increasingly nice weather, but also the winds of change. Here in Community Senate, we are going through a transitional period from the previous Executive Council to the newly elected representatives. This being our first Community Senate update as the new executive committee, we would like to say two things right off the bat. First, we would like to thank everyone who gave us their support in the elections. It was a hard fought race, one of the most contested in recent years, and we would not be here without your votes.

Secondly, we want to acknowledge the great job the previous Executive Council has done in reforming Community Senate into a more helpful and active body. Ali Stewart did a great job as president, and she will be missed as she moves on to “the real world.” Her steady stewardship guided Senate through an unfamiliar time.

On that note, this year’s Senate has started down the road towards changing the way things work, not only within Senate itself, but also in voicing opinions on issues that affect more than just a club’s budget. In the spirit of carrying that same torch, our goal for this upcoming year is to further transform Senate into a body that can affect change here on our campus.

Senate should no longer be viewed as just a bank where traditional students go to ask for more money in order to bring in a speaker, buy t-shirts or fund a trip (though please feel free to continue to do these things, as they enrich our college experience!)

Senate should primarily be a forum for discussing ideas and finding solutions to the issues that we run into on a campus with many different people coming from many different places.

The doors to this new Senate will always open for anyone who wants to be heard. We are a tool in which you can share your thoughts with people throughout the college. No issue is too insignificant or too controversial for us to give it consideration because, above all, we want to make our school our own.

So, in closing, feel free to stop by Community Senate on Wednesdays at 7 p.m., or just stop one of us when you see us walking along, and don’t be shy to ask us what we are doing to help the student body, or even what we are spending your money on. We look forward to serving you. See you next week!