Student Senate Update: Putting the ‘student’ back in Student Senate

Student Senate continues to forge through the year, tackling issues as they come up. We wanted to inform the students with what exactly we have been up to in the past month, so let’s take a look!

First, we started a new funding proposal project, in which we e-mailed all student organization leaders and advisors and asked them to write a proposal if they were in need of money for a project or conference. Fortunately, we received several proposals, but unfortunately, we were unable to fund all proposals due to our budget. But we are happy to announce the organizations that received some funding through Student Senate: Habitat for Humanity, ONE Campaign, Interfaith Leadership, Model UN, Women’s Ultimate Frisbee and Towers Hall Council. We started this program in hopes that these organizations can use these funds to help better the Luther community and bring more opportunity to Luther students. We will be doing this same funding proposal project next semester, so if your organization is in need of some help look forward to an e-mail to your organization leader.

Next, Senate is looking into implementing a readership program through USA Today. This program will allow Luther students to pick up newspapers at different locations on campus that are free to students. The papers Senate will be looking at getting will be USA Today, The New York Times, The La Crosse Tribune and the Des Moines Register. This will allow students to connect with the outside world in a convenient and easy manner that will cost them nothing. We want your input on the possibility of this program, so look for your senate members tabling outside the caf in the weeks to come. Also, we will be having a four-week trial run, where you will have input on the value of this program and ways to improve it.

In the next couple weeks, students will have several opportunities to get involved in their senate. First, Senate has launched a KATIE site so students will be able to look at minutes from our meetings, committee reports and happenings from the Senate front. Next, we invite all students to come to our first open forum where Student Senate has set a specific time in our agenda, on the Nov. 3 meeting, to hear the concerns of the student body, so please come and share your ideas with your senators. As always, all students are invited to our meetings in the Mott Room at 6:30 every Tuesday. We would love to hear from you.