Back in session, back in action

It’s hard to believe that the summer has come and gone andwe are already well into another eventful school year here on theHilltop. The beginning of the year is one of the most excitingtimes at SMU. It’s a time to catch up with friends, get afresh start with classes, and welcome some new faces to the SMUfamily. For some of us, the start of the school year is anopportunity to do all the things we wanted to do last year like getinvolved, go to every class, or make that 4.0.

And just like classes, Student Senate is back in session. I feelso fortunate to be a part of the incredible group of senators,chair and officers that make up your 91st SMU Student Senate. Wehave such a dynamic team devoted to serving you, the students ofSMU. It is truly a privilege to have the opportunity to work withsuch dedicated, passionate and motivated Mustangs and it is evidentthat we have the potential to do great things this year.

Only barely a month into the year, senators and chairs arealready well on their way to making a difference on our campus.They are working on projects ranging from recycling on theBoulevard for game days to registering students to vote in theupcoming presidential election. Past Student Senate initiativessuch as these have led to a variety of improvements to the SMUcampus as well as the surrounding communities. Student Senatelegislation played a vital role in planning the current renovationof the Dedman Center for Lifetime Sports, establishing the PonyExpress card, creating fall break and setting aside reading days.Student Senate has done some amazing things in the past, and youshould expect nothing less from us this year.

Since last spring, your elected senators have been working toformulate a list of items we feel are important to address thisyear in Student Senate. With your help, opinions, and suggestions,we want to take action on these issues to make a visible differenceat SMU. Among our action items are:

• Increasing campus recycling

• Improving parking lot/garage safety

• Supporting campus programming

• Unifying the campus through support of the athleticsprogram

• Promoting the study abroad program

• Recruiting and retaining International and minoritystudents

• Reviewing the appropriations process and Senatemembership through task forces

Along with the senators, the chairs of the 10 Student Senatecommittees have been forming their goals and kicking off the yearwith their first meetings and campus programs. The 10 differentcommittees are an integral part of Student Senate and providestudents with an opportunity to be directly involved in theuniversity governance and student concerns. They meet weekly on theday and time listed below:

• Academic Enhancement — 3 p.m., Wednesday

• Appropriations — 8 p.m., Monday

• Communications — 6 p.m., Wednesday

• Diversity — 4 p.m., Thursday

• Environment — 4 p.m., Friday

• Finance — 8:30 p.m., Monday

• Membership — 5 p.m., Wednesday

• Organizations — 6:30 p.m., Thursday

• Scholarship — 5 p.m., Wednesday

• Student Issues — 5:15 p.m., Wednesday

And remember — it’s never too late to join acommittee. We have a rolling application process for thecommittees, so if you are interested, please come and get anapplication in the Student Activities Center. Everyone is welcome— grad students, seniors, juniors, sophomores andfirst-years. We would love to have you as a part of our team.

And first-years, please do not forget to exercise your right andvote today for your first-year senators, first-year class presidentand class council members. Your representation and class leadershipis so important, so get online to www.smu.edu/elections and letyour voice be heard.

Once again, we are looking forward to an amazing year on theHilltop in the beautiful Big D. If you are new to the campus, oreven if it’s your last semester here, I highly encourage youto take a few minutes at some point this year and stop by a StudentSenate meeting and see what we’re all about. We meet everyTuesday at 3:30 p.m. in the Forum of Hughes-Trigg. Our meetings areopen to the public and students are welcome to attend and voicetheir opinions on pending legislation and student concerns.

Please never hesitate to come and see Chip, Gabe and myself ifthere is anything we can do. Our offices are located on the thirdfloor of Hughes-Trigg and our doors are always open. No matter whatthe issue is, we are here for you. Thank you for the opportunity toserve as your Student Body Vice-President and I look forward toseeing you all throughout the year. Go Mustangs!

Liz Healy is student body vice-president. She may be reachedat [email protected].