A Talk with Madame President: Student Senate and its Successes

Amidst a completely online school year, some clubs may have found it hard to retain membership and influence on campus. Not Student Senate, though; the governing body for the College for Women is still advocating for undergraduate students. I spoke with Jasmin Yangwaue (Political Science and Government, ‘21), the Student Body President for the 2020-2021 school year, about the new initiatives that Senate has implemented this year, as well as what their advocacy has looked like in an online format.

Fall Successes

Senate hit the ground running at the start of the school year. Last semester, they chartered three new clubs: the Creative Writing Cohort, the Society of Physics Students, and the Yarn Arts club. Yangwaue stressed the achievement that this was: “With everything being online, it’s hard to get students engaged, so the fact that three clubs were chartered this year is exciting.”

In staying connected with the student body, the Public Relations Committee has started weekly Self-Care Night livestreams on the Senate Instagram account. Every Wednesday, Senate members will host a livestream where they connect with students and promote self-care. These livestreams have helped Senate stay connected to the student body that they serve.

Additionally, the External Affairs committee created the 2020-2021 virtual Student Discount card. This year, the card is an online master list of student discounts that are available to St. Kate’s students. Students will find discounts to their favorite restaurants, retailers, and more.

Finally, Senate was able to provide $1500 for Access and Success’ “Adopt-a-Family” Program. Adopt-a-Family is an anonymous gift-giving program that provides support for student parents who need assistance with holiday gifts for their children. 

Spring Initiatives

Building on their strong achievements from last semester, Senate is continuing to advocate for the College for Women students in 2021. One problem that Yangwaue struggled with during her presidency was, “How can we engage more students on a virtual platform?” In response, Senate created an online Student Concerns survey. While students previously voiced their concerns in person at Senate meetings, in this new online format, students can submit their concerns at their convenience. Yangwaue states that she hopes that the survey helps students feel more comfortable with the role that Senate plays in their undergraduate education. 

One such issue is the lack of composting on campus. The Environmental Committee is currently working with the campus Sustainability Coordinators to get compost bins in all of the residence halls as well as public areas on campus. They are also working to create educational materials to support composting and sustainability on campus. This is an effort to make St. Kate’s more environmentally conscious, a concern that has been weighing on many students’ minds.

Another concern that students have is about how mental health is being addressed on campus, especially during a time when students are struggling even more than in a normal academic year. As a result, Senate created an ad-hoc committee specifically dedicated to mental health. Their primary objective is to create a space for students to talk more about their mental health struggles and to destigmatize the issue. The committee is working to collaborate with campus mental health groups, such as the St. Kate’s chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), to create “mental health nights” and other student-led forums on mental health. They are also working with the Counseling Center to understand how the service can be improved and to provide more resources for students. Finally, the mental health ad-hoc committee aims to promote the mental health resources in the LiveSafe application. Created by Senate, this section of the app provides easily accessible resources on how students can support their mental health.

Finally, Senate has been working with Public Safety this semester in order to foster its relationships with students. Yangwaue mentioned that the goal here is to increase transparency within the department and connect students with Public Safety, as many students don’t know the officers and, as a result, do not trust them. Students are also unaware of the resources that Public Safety provides, such as escorting services and assistance in pumping tires. There is also an increasing concern about the lack of diversity in Public Safety, and Senate hopes to have more BIPOC in the department. Additionally, Senate is working on lighting on campus with Public Safety. Students were concerned about areas on campus that didn’t have enough lighting. They are currently collecting data on different areas that have caused this concern and will work with Public Safety to implement new lighting fixtures for students to feel safer walking on campus.

Senate is for Students: How to Get Involved

Yangwaue emphasized the fact that Senate is still present on campus and is still helping students, even virtually. There are a number of ways that students can connect with their representatives about their concerns.

All students are welcome to attend Senate meetings every Tuesday from 12-1 PM CST. This is a great opportunity to learn about what is happening on campus as well as a space to voice student concerns. 

Additionally, class representatives have virtual office hours in which students can discuss questions, concerns, where to look for resources, and how Senate can help them. Representatives send weekly emails to their constituents with their office hours and students can drop in during those times with this link.

Finally, students are more than welcome to get involved in committees if something interests them. The Environmental, Diversity, Public Relations, External Affairs, and Organizational Affairs committees are great ways for students to get involved in what happens on campus. To join a committee, email Senate for the meeting times and Google Meets links.

The St. Kate’s Student Senate is always here to serve your needs, even virtually. To keep updated on their latest projects, be sure to follow them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.