By Madeline Condor | Staff Writer
Student government is preparing for the new school year with a number of goals, including solidifying the airport shuttle service, improving safety and cultivating stronger relationships on campus.
The Woodlands senior and Student Body President Nick Madincea said student government is “the best vehicle for advocacy, support and change on Baylor’s campus.” The organization has already accomplished numerous initiatives, such as renovating the Bill and Eva Williams Bear Habitat, buying new lights for Pat Neff Hall and renovating the National Pan-Hellenic Garden, he said.
Student government follows the same structure as the federal government with a legislative branch, executive branch and judicial branch. The legislative branch, consisting of the Student Senate, meets on Thursday nights. The executive branch, made up of the cabinet for the student body president and external vice president, meets weekly or biweekly to discuss various projects. The judicial branch meets as needed depending on its caseload.
Madincea said one of his goals as student body president is to continue the airport shuttle and expand that initiative in order to make it a permanent part of student life. Three shuttle trips are planned during the school year for Thanksgiving, Christmas and spring break.
Another goal of his is to improve off-campus safety, particularly from Eighth Street to 18th Street, Madincea said.
“I’m looking at and working with the Baylor University Police Department, our district attorney and Waco [Police Department] on how we improve off-campus safety and how we make the communities that our Baylor Bears live in safer,” Madincea said.
Trophy Club senior and Internal Vice President McKenzie Arata said one of her goals is to cultivate relationships with students.
“My goal is to increase communication between different areas of campus and search for new ways to further enrich the Baylor experience,” Arata said.
Arata said she strives to serve members of student government to the best of her ability.
“As the IVP, I want to inspire the senators to pursue projects they are interested in and to walk alongside them as they do,” Arata said. “I want to be a resource and foster an environment that enables members to be equipped to serve in their positions.”
The timeline for freshman Senate elections is still being finalized, but Arata said elections will occur within the first six weeks of the school year.
“The process includes a general interest meeting being held before filing opens, followed by filing, the mandatory candidate meeting, the campaign period and then elections,” Arata said.
Those interested in getting involved with student government can visit its website.
“This is going to be a great year for student government because we have a multitude of things that are really maturing all at the same time,” Madincea said. “We’ve got three once-in-a-decade, if not once-in-a-lifetime opportunities all coming together at once.”
