The student Senate is a place where change occurs. Senate is where ideas are presented to the student leaders of the campus, and if the majority feels strongly enough about a particular subject, they either vote for the bill to pass or for the bill to be terminated.
Joshua Edgren, junior physics major, knows firsthand what happens during and after Senate meetings take place. Edgren is the ambassador to Student Government Association, which means that he serves as the “liaison” between the student senators and Bryan Carrier, dean of students.
He said that though different bills and resolutions are looked at more closely than others, much of the time, the finalization process does not take long.
“It varies from resolution to resolution,” Edgren said. “There are some where, in our meeting, we take care of it while we are there. For instance, the students asked for more ping pong paddles. So, during our meeting, we went out to Dick’s Sporting Goods and bought more paddles, and I delivered them within the hour. So it really all just depends on the bill or resolution.”
Edgren says that the resolutions that seem to take the longest are bills that include other “entities.”
“Things such as resolutions that deal with Resident Life, or Aramark, or anything of that nature,” he said. “It takes longer because the funding has to come from somewhere. Dean Carrier has to wait, when another organization is involved, on other entities in order to give the bill its final say. Most times, it’s rarely a matter of “if” a bill should go into effect, more so of “how” it will go into effect.”
Edgren said that when he took the position of SGA Ambassador, he did not understand what the job entailed. Now he believes that the Union community can benefit greatly when Senate takes place.
“When I was approached about the position, I honestly didn’t know what the position did,” Edgren said. “I think that SGA has the potential to greatly benefit the Union community. And I think that a primary venue for that potential benefit is at the student Senate.”
Senate is held every other Wednesday throughout the semester, but this past meeting on Nov. 12, was the last of the semester. To present a bill that will benefit the rest of the campus, seek funds for organization activities, be sure to submit your bill at sga@my.uu.edu.
