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Show ADMINISTRATION & STUDENT GOVERMENT government is 9 important because it provides a meaningful voice for students and their interactions with administrators," said James Steur, speaker of the Senate. Controlling the campus from HWAC MADISON WOOD STAFF REPORTER The term student government might conjure memories of cheesy handcrafted posters hanging in high school hallways. Yet, sitting in a Westminster Senate meeting on a dark Monday night, students may find themselves taking student government a bit more seriously. important because it provides a meaningful voice for students and their interactions with administrators, said James Steur, speaker of the Senate and political science major. It also provides the ability Student government is for specific students to grow in ways they normally would not. During Senate meetings, Steur and er members of the branches of student othgov- ernment (the Executive Cabinet, the Judicial Council and the StuCouncil, the Inter-Clu- b dent Activities Committee) gather to discuss topics of student interest. All students at Westminster College taking more than two credit hours are automatically Westminpart of the Associated Students of ster College (ASWC), which is led by the student government. However, that doesnt bring in crowds to Senate meetings. Senate always has a low public student attendance thats just historically what its been, Steur said. But with bigger topics, there can be an influx of students. To fight low student attendance at meetings and lack of knowledge about student gov- concise way, said the ASWC online message. If the identity rebrand is approved by the ernment, ASWC recently proposed changes to the organizations structure. Along with a new visual identity, the branches under ASWC will change student body, ASWC members hope it will get students more involved in the processes of student government. gg names, according to ASWCs website Students wall be able to vote for the changes on Nov. 18--19 on Canvas. With the identity rebrand, your student government aims to eliminate confusion current and establish a strong identity that Westminster can be proud of," said Having students at Senate demon- SENATE ALWAYS HAS A strates that theyre interested LOW in the which is to me, obviously, said Jane Jerman, wee president of ASWC and communication major. important, Steur said. But it Also, theres so many organizations on campus that are really, really, really stoked to get involved with it. process, PUBLIC STUDENT really also allows senators JUST to engage and discuss things with one another that we normally wouldnt. As Steur puts it, it really only takes HISTORICALLY WHAT ITS BEEN. 33 one ASWC in a message on its website. We aim to create consistency and strengthen ASWC for future students. ASWC members said the Westminster community is unclear on what student government does, how its structured and who is involved. Since every student of Westminster is an Associated Student, it is of everyones in- terest that we are represented in a clear and students voice to potentially direct the whole meeting. who Students choose to get directly involved with student government will also be rewarded, Steur said. You take a first-yestudent who got involved in student government and see them two or three years later, and I think they attribute a lot of their growth to it," Steur said. Things like, T really needed to learn how to communicate effectively with administrators or T needed to understand how the school JAMES STEUR SPEAKER OF THE SENATE ar worked better or T learned specific things about myself, like maybe Im disorganized. In addition to interpersonal growth, student government members also get opportunities to coordinate impactful communication and events. Its looking like Womens History Month in March will be a go, so thats really exciting has coordinated with Financial Aid, Student Health Services, the Alumni House and the Center of Entrepreneurship to accomplish this goal. One of the things Ive really gotten out of it was learning to work with people in really difficult situations, Steur said. Ive really learned to take people with different opinions and put them in a room together to have a conversation and constructive dialogue with one another instead of actually just screaming at one another and not making progress. But for Jake Smith, junior communication major, thats not enough to get him to go. I would maybe go if I knew more about what it entails, but I dont really know the purpose of going, Smith said. Im not even aware of where or when Senate meetings take place. Jerman |