One of the organizations on campus that students may not be aware of is the Student Senate. Members of the Senate are fellow students who have made it their mission to advocate for all students by promoting policies, representing student concerns, and supporting organizations around campus.

The Student Senate is working to “improve the quality of the academic and co-curricular experience at GSU…” as stated by the GSU website. For a list of the current Student Senate Leadership team, you can refer to the GSU website. Voting for the next term of Student Senate were held from March 27-31. 

Incumbent Vice President Dakota Keel echoes the mission sentiment. Keel, a senior Theater and Performing Studies major (who will be playing The Duke in the GSU performance of “Othello”), is returning for a third semester as Vice President.  

In an interview during the voting period, Keel highlighted his experience and goals for his next term. He said there was a difficult learning curve in the beginning. However, now that current members have held roles for an extended period, “The senate is evolving into something new and better. Now there is a vision that we are trying to bring to fruition.”

The overall goal is to create and maintain a better campus experience. When asked: “What are you looking forward to offering/providing students?” he responded that it is important to him to inform the students on what they have access to. There are so many programs, activities, and opportunities that are available to students that many are unaware of and he wants to work to close that gap. Student Senate, a leadership team of 11 members, is looking to incorporate more involvement from students, enriching their experience.

In a more extended interview sophomore Education major Imani Jackson, it was clear in our conversation that she truly wants to make a difference for her fellow students

Elected as Student-At-Large Representative, Jackson is very active in the GSU community, exemplifying the involvement that the Student Senate wishes to promote. She is a member of the GSU Dance Company, the New Student Programs, and serves as the President of the Senate on the Executive Board of the Model Illinois Government. Jackson was first a participant in the Student Senate as an appointed College of Education Representative.

She describes her time as a fascinating experience because of the necessary collaborative effort. The platform also provided her with a more formal presentation of the concerns of her fellow students.

When asked if there was a change that she would like to implement in her term, Jackson replied that she wants to add another level of transparency in the syllabi concerning the costs associated with events/activities/supplies that are required for students to attend/participate.

My final question was: “What do you want students to know about the Student Senate?”  

She stressed that she thought it is important that students know that she and other members of the Senate are meant to be the liaison between the students and faculty and administration. She said; “[Students] deserve to have their voices heard. We are here to be advocates.”

There will be a ceremony on Friday, April 28 of the swearing-in of new student Senators. GSU encourages all students to engage with the Student Senate should they have concerns. Senate meetings are open to the public, and students are encouraged to attend. For more information about Student Senate or to reach out to a senator, please send a message to [email protected].