Luther College’s Student Senate met on September 21st to welcome newly voted senators as well as vote on two more positions.
Among the newly elected representatives included Sydney Obaseki (‘27, Brandt Hall), Makenzie Dahlstrom (‘26, Dieseth Hall), Nicolás Shrestha (‘25, Farwell Hall), Omotola Akingba (‘27, Ylvisaker Hall), Jacob Horton (‘27, Freshman Class Representative ), Emilee Burcham-Scofield (‘26) (Diversity Representative for Disability), and Cristian Chavez (‘24, Diversity Representative for Gender and Sexuality). At the meeting, the Senate also elected Mitchell McManus (‘25) for College Apartments, Prairie Houses, and Commuter Representatives and Madelynn Liston (‘24) for Baker Village Representative.
Freshman Class Representative Jacob Horton is a biology major involved in PALS, choir, intramural sports, and senate. His main focus this year is acting as a branch of communication for the student body and Student Senate.
“Right now, my main focus is to be the listener to understand what problems have come up in the last few weeks among the first years,” Horton said. “By talking with people about their concerns and their problems pertaining to being a first year student, I will understand what problems lie in a common ground among the freshmen, and what situations I can intervene to help an individual if they are struggling.”
Omotola Akingba is another first-year student who is the representative for Ylvisaker Hall. She is an international student from Nigeria and is currently involved with Model UN and the International Students and Allies Association. When asked about what she hopes to accomplish during her time as a representative for Ylvisaker, Omotola explained that she hopes to support her classmates.
“I would hope that the concerns of the first years would be heard and that they would know that they have a close ear to confide in and be listened to,” Omotola said. “Knowing that they have support and resources, especially from a peer so close, would be for the betterment of their first-year experience at Luther College and set them up nicely for the rest of their undergraduate career.”
Mackenzie Dahlstrom, the Dieseth Hall Representative, is a sophomore economics major and is a manager for the Women’s Basketball team. This is her second year being on Student Senate. In addition to being a representative for Dieseth residents, she also plans to work with the Ad Hoc committee to organize setting up storage units for students to use over long breaks.
Junior Mitchell McManus is the representative for Prairie houses, College Apartments, and Commuters. In addition to Student Senate, he’s also a member of Concert Band, Cathedral Choir, and Pound Ultimate Frisbee.
“During this time as the college apartments and prairie houses, I hope to take concerns from the residents when they arise and bring it to the attention of the student senate as well as being proactive in communicating those concerns with both residents and fellow senators,” McManus said. “I hope to also be a part of other committees that work to overall improve Luther College.”
Madelynn Liston is a senior and represents Baker Village. On campus, she is involved in chemistry club, health science club, and LSNA. Madelynn told senators at the September 21 meeting that she hopes to advocate for mental health services in Rochester provided by Luther and to work hard to create positive change for both Baker residents and all students on campus.
Nicolas Shrestha is a junior and is the new representative for Farwell Hall. He is a member of the Luther Men’s Swimming and Diving team, and was a member of Luther’s 2022-23 ARC Championship teams in the 400 Medley Relay and 800 Freestyle Relay, respectively.
Emilee Burcham-Scofield is a sophomore and is the new Diversity Representative for Disability. She is a guard on the Luther Women’s Basketball team and was the team’s Newcomer of the Year this past season. A social work major, she also writes in the News section for CHIPS.
New Diversity Representative for Diversity and Sexuality Cristian Chavez is a senior majoring in Social Work. He is a member of the Luther Wrestling team and earned NWCA DIII All-American Honors in 2021. He is also a member of the Luther Athletics Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.
Sydney Obaseki is the new Brandt Hall representative. She just started her first year at Luther and currently lives in Brandt Hall.
The Student Senate is still currently looking for representatives for Miller, Olson, and Larsen Halls. Those interested are encouraged to contact Student Senate at [email protected].
