Student Senate, the representation and voice of the student body of Bluffton University, is aiming to increase its involvement and relevance on campus through events curating discussions, implementing additions around campus for student use and making constitutional amendments.
With the opportunity for representatives to join each year, the Student Senate is the voice of the students as the members sit on university committees throughout campus like the Cross-cultural Committee, student life, food services, Undergraduate Academic Program Committee, and the Special Studies and Honors committee. Having senate members within these groups allows for student input on events, discussions and changes affecting the students.
Two other expectations of the senate and its members are allocating funds to all the official clubs on campus and to be talking with and listening to students. According to Student Senate President Meghan Ream, having constant conversation about life at Bluffton is a vital role for senate members.
Student Senate President Meghan Ream. Photo by Olivia Tennefoss
“It’s important that we know what people are thinking, know what they want, that we have good representatives on senate that are talking to people,” said Ream.
The addition of bikes on campus for student use and encouraging faculty to give students a project day on Oct. 28 are just a couple initiatives Student Senate has successfully delivered in response to student input, and they are eager to continue being a more active role on campus.
Cierra Long, the secretary for Student Senate, sees senate members as people super passionate about different things. They are all eager to help host a wide range of events for students to participate in and make improvements around campus that will be beneficial, she said.
The event Walk a Week in My Shoes, organized by Student Senate for Nov. 9 to 13, was started by Long in response to summer events involving the murder of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and the Black Lives Matter movement.
“We can’t be quiet about it,” said Long. “We have so many African-American students and Black students and international students as well that we can’t be quiet about it.”
Revolving around the idea of giving a voice to the minorities on Bluffton’s campus, the week has come to include events talking about the deportation crisis, panels on LGBTQ+ and Black life experiences, with conversations about privilege and a unity walk at the end of the week.
Allowing student voices to be heard in an important way is what senate wants to accomplish, and they are trying to further achieve this goal by amending the constitution to allow more representatives for each class to be a member of Student Senate, and while their meetings are open to all non-members, it provides a greater opportunity for students to get involved.
“I really want more people to be on senate,” said Ream. “I know that people’s schedules are busy and they’ve got a lot going on, but . . . we all do. If it’s something that somebody is passionate about and they need that little push, just come to a meeting and come see what we do––have a conversation.”
