Perhaps drawing inspiration from a seasoned student government official's success story, new senators demonstrated initiative by running for liaison positions as well as hearing committee reports and passing a resolution at Wednesday night's Senate meeting.
Senior class president Darrell Scott assumed the podium to discuss his achievement in getting part of the scaffolding surrounding the dome removed temporarily for graduation.
Although Scott did not realize how controversial the issue would become - and said he first thought, "Well, that's the way the cookie crumbles" - Scott said once the e-mails from disappointed and frustrated seniors began flooding in, he started to do research and presented a plan to University officials.
"We're adults - the administration will work with you," he said. "Be respectful towards University officials - it's easy to make them look like the boogeyman."
Scott said the coalition of leaders that formed to unite the student union was key in countering the mounted scaffolding and emphasized this unity to senators for their future efforts in enacting change.
"Never give up," he said.
After student body vice president Lizzi Shappell introduced the different student government bodies of which senators are members, senators voted on which of their peers would serve as liaisons to Campus Life Council (CLC), Council of Representatives (COR), Financial Management Board (FMB), Judicial Council and Faculty Senate.
Knott senator Jacques Nguyen, Stanford senator David Thaxton and Lewis senator Katie McHugh were elected to serve on CLC. Pasquerilla West senator Christina Lee was elected as an alternate CLC member.
Keough senator Rob Lindley, Dillon senator Dan Bowen, Keenan senator Jason Zgrabik and O'Neill senator Steve Tortorello were elected as liaisons to COR. Morrissey senator Brian Klein was elected as COR alternate.
Fisher senator Chris Garibaldi and Alumni senator Andrew Beatty were elected to FMB.
St. Ed's senator Fred Thwaites was elected to Judicial Council, and Welsh Family senator Brenna Doyle was elected to Faculty Senate.
Several committee chairs discussed recent developments in their projects.
Steve Cartwright stood in for Community Relations committee chair Nick Guzman and described the committee's "exciting" upcoming plans.
"It's virtually unprecedented, getting students behind community relations initiatives," he said.
Cartwright said the committee would be working on instituting an off-campus safety seminar, permanent roles for students in neighborhood coalitions, unofficial partnerships with legal representatives, an off-campus resource guide and a South Bend opportunities guide.
Gender Relations committee chair Aly Wishon said she, Shappell, student body president Dave Baron and former vice president Karla Bell had met with Vice President of Student Affairs Bill Kirk and NDSP director Rex Rakow regarding the Freshman Orientation sexual assault information segment.
Baron, speaking on behalf of Residence Life committee chair Mark Seiler, said student government had met recently with Office of Information Technology chief information officer Gordon Wishon about several issues, including printers and wireless access in dorms, an office hours database and computer safety information.
Senators also unanimously passed a resolution honoring outgoing University President Father Edward "Monk" Malloy.
"It's a way to give a little respect to this person who has served this community so graciously," Baron said.
Baron told senators to mobilize their dorm constituencies to attend the Malloy farewell Mass Sunday at 9 p.m. in the Joyce Center.
"We'll be presenting gifts to Father Malloy on the behalf of the student body," he said.
