Students Elect New Senate
By Rachel Decker

719 votes, placed by approximately 25% of the student body, put ten new student senators into office last week.
According to student senate bylaws normally only eight new senators are elected in the fall, yet two more were required this year to replace one senator studying abroad and another who resigned.
New senators include Ary Amerikaner, Siddharth Dugar, Emily Jendrek, Andrea Leung, Matthew Pantell, Dazlynn Pinkston, Daniel Rodriguez, Quammie Semper and Harper Tobin.
Junior Rebecca Ganetzky was re-elected; students Andrena Hawkins, Alania Fotiu-Wojitowitz, Tom Simchak, Matthew Epstein, and Jesse Kanson-Benanav are all returning for their second term.
The Senate, composed of fifteen members from all four classes, meets every Sunday evening for three hours to discuss College affairs and policies and come to a decision about what the students as a whole would like to see amended.
"It’s going to be a good year this year," said Jesse Kanson-Benanav, Communications Director and Class of ’03 senate member.
"We’ve got a lot of enthusiastic people," he added.
This Sunday the senate is discussing the possibility of holding a referendum concerning recycling assistance. There is a push to increase the amount of recycled paper used on campus, especially by the CIT Department.
Another big issue the senate hopes to act on this year is greater inclusion of student input in different faculty committees that have a large effect on the academic policies of the College.
The Senate hopes to gain representation in the EPPC, which continues to discuss the possible elimination of the credit/no entry system.
Addressing the dissatisfaction with the dining plan of much of the student body is another priority for the senate this year.
Sophomore senate member Andrena Hawkins stated, "I think the senate is going to have an impact on this school probably even exceeding that of what it has in the past because we are far from complacent with the school the way it is."
"I feel that this is an important time to be part of senate because of the diversity of issues that students are facing on campus," said International student and junior senator Siddharth Dugar. "The only way to address these issues is to appoint committed students to carious committees and make sure their voices are heard."
"We would also like to see better communication between students and to the students," said Kanson-Benanav.

Students with concerns that they would like to bring to the attention of the senate can e-mail them to the address osenate@oberlin.edu.

Senate meetings, which take place from 7-10 p.m. every Sunday in Wilder 222, are also open to the public.