Ohio University's Student Senate ended a busy year on an uneventful note.
For a Student Senate mired in controversy throughout their term, the general body’s last meeting before 2015-16 senators are announced was uneventful, with no resolutions brought forward.
One major goal of the Restart ticket, which both President Megan Marzec and Vice President Caitlyn McDaniel ran on last year, was to open voting to all Ohio University students. This resolution was one of eleven passed at the March 25 general body meeting.
After a year of organizing protests, walk-outs and student trustee elections, senate didn’t propose a single resolution or initiate discussion during their second-to-last meeting of the semester.
“A body that prides itself on passing resolutions didn’t have a final hoorah,” said South Green Senator and SOS presidential candidate Gabby Bacha.
With less than a week left to campaign and a majority of the senate body involved with a campaigning ticket, senators were busy preparing for elections April 14 to 16. The impending senate elections could be a contributing factor to the lack of resolutions at Wednesday’s meeting, said Hannah Clouser, a Senate Appropriations Committee senator and the SOS ticket’s candidate for treasurer.
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“To a degree this could be because of elections, a lot of people are involved in that, but I also just think it’s the end of the semester and most of the events have already been planned and have happened or are happening,” Clouser said.
Marzec and McDaniel did warn the body to be familiar with the Board of Elections rules available on Student Senate’s website.
Students will be able to vote using their personal laptops, library computers or through a polling station set up in Baker University Center.
But just as in any government election, candidates will not be allowed to campaign during the 48-hour election period or set up their own laptop polling stations, McDaniel said.
The Board of Elections will issue fines or disqualify any candidates found in violation of the rules.
Also at Wednesday night’s meeting, Tasha Attaway, a university communications specialist, gave a presentation encouraging students to use OU’s calendar of university events.
“Free publicity is good, and this is a perfect tool for free publicity,” Attaway said.
On April 22, senate will hold a general body meeting that will focus on a ceremony to induct the newly elected 2015-16 senators.
McDaniel said she also plans to propose a resolution at that meeting to outline a plan to open senate voting to all OU students.
mb076912@ohio.edu
@mayganbeeler
