CSC Student Senate strives for a new campus image

By Kenzi Garner – Senate Correspondent

The CSC Student Senate swore in a new senator and discussed changes that it believes will help improve the Senate’s image with students at its 4 p.m. meeting, Monday, in the Student Center Scottsbluff Room.

The meeting began with Chief Justice Megan Hodgson, junior of McCook, swearing in Katie Hoeke, of Rapid City, South Dakota, as an at large senator.

“I’d like to put the focus back on the students and what we are doing for the students,” Hoeke said in the meeting. “Also, advocating for our peers in a ways that other faculty and committees on campus can not.”

Hoeke’s inauguration is much needed after a handful of former senators have stepped down, whether because of their graduation from CSC or other personal reasons, leaving many new senator slots open.

Directly following Hoeke’s inauguration, Senate discussed how it has noticed that students negatively view many of the decisions that are made by the body. The senators discussed plans to change how the student body views the Senate and how they can have a positive impact on campus.

“I would like to tell students that Senate does not have an unlimited supply of funds, and that our funds pay for every student activity on campus,” Chief Justice Hodgson said. “The Senate doesn’t get paid to allocate funds to people. We are doing this on our own free time, and there is no personal aspect to any of it. It’s business.”

The Senate allocated $500 towards replacing feminine hygiene products on campus. It also allocated $783.28 to purchase insurance for this year’s events and $1,000 to the Residence Life Association to help with funding the annual haunted house run on campus. The last allocation was $7,500 to the Eagle Reward committee to fund prizes that are given out for events.

The Senate will reconvene at 4 p.m., Monday, in the Student Center Scottsbluff Room.