The senate executives received 69 applicants for more than 40 positions including appointed commissioner and staff positions.
While some Bobcats were lounging around their first week home from Ohio University, OU Student Senate executives were reviewing applications and appointing students to unfilled positions.
The senate executives received 69 applicants for more than 40 positions including appointed commissioner and staff positions, Student Senate President Hannah Clouser said.
Many senate positions were filled during the spring election with the UNITE ticket winning all but two of the 39 total seats, and the roster announcing the students chosen for appointed positions was released Friday.
“It definitely wasn’t easy,” Clouser said. “It was kind of figuring out who was the best fit for certain positions and then also how everyone kinda fit into the senate team because I think it's important to not only look at the individual, but how that individual will affect senate as a whole.”
Senate Vice President Courteney Muhl said the executives made their decisions based off of the experience, ideas and leadership style of the applicants.
“We're very confident that the team we assembled (is in) the best position possible to make positive changes for the student body and to carry out their ideas in the best way,” Muhl said.
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The newly created chief justice position received 16 applications, the most of any position, Clouser said. Hashim Pashtun was appointed to the position and will have the responsibility of choosing other members of the Judicial Panel.
There was also a lot of interest in the director of social media position with 10 applicants resulting in the appointment of two directors instead of just one, Clouser said.
Landen Lama, previously the lead parliamentarian and campaign manager for the UNITE ticket, was appointed chief of staff.
“I'm excited,” Lama said. “I applied for some other positions, but I am definitely very happy with what I have received. ... I want to be there for the executive officers. I want to help them. I want them to delegate things to me, take on projects, stuff like that.”
Two positions, off-campus senator and the Campus Outreach Committee chair position, remain vacant. Nicholas Felt held the off-campus senator position, but left it for the appointed Governmental Affairs commissioner position considering students can’t hold more than one voting position, Muhl said.
“We have offered that (off-campus senator) seat to the next highest runner-up and then pending their response we’ll make a decision from there on who will get to fill the seat,” Muhl said.
The executives didn’t receive any applications for the Campus Outreach Committee chair position, Clouser said.
Senate executives as well as appointed and elected members plan on utilizing the summer by setting goals for the upcoming school year, Muhl said.
“I’m really excited to work with everyone next year,” Clouser said. “I think we have a really good team.”
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