By Will DeWitt
Reporter
As the semester starts, Student Government is searching for students to fill vacancies in the Senate.
There are three vacancies in the freshman senator representation and 30 percent of the sophomore class representation is vacant.
Student government members see the open spots as an opportunity to gain new voices in debates that cover student life.
Oklahoma City senior Luke Womble, student government communications director, encourages student leaders to be involved in campus government, especially those interested in serving their fellow peers.
Members of the student government say they are rewarded by the experience.
“I benefit from it personally knowing that I’m benefiting others and I think that that’s the key in this organization. We’re here not for ourselves but for representing others,” Falls City junior Michael Lyssy, Senate president, said. “It’s for people that are motivated and driven to help others and make the university a better place.”
Student senators work throughout the week, meeting with administrators, committees and students to decide what needs to be addressed by the student government.
Lyssy said senators serve in 9 different weekly committee meetings.
“It’s time consuming, but it is beneficial to the senators and the students they represent,” Lyssy said.
Some of the duties of student government include allocating funds for student organizations and being a liaison between administration and the Baylor Board of Regents and the student body.
“It’s behind the scenes work but it affects students more than they realize,” Womble said.
Senate took steps to fill openings in student government in its Thursday meeting by affirming two seniors into senator vacancies as well as appointing a Court Associated Justice.
In their meeting they also brought several issues into first reading, which included a bill to define campaign workers, which will go into second reading next week.
Students can download an application to become a senator by visiting the Get Involved section of the student government website: http://www.baylor.edu/sg.
Applications should be turned in before 5 p.m. today in the student government office.
