Results of Student Senate election in

Senators prepare to get to work

The results are in from last week's election, with six newcomers joining senate veterans to make up this year's student senate. Constituting over one third of the 15-member organization, the newly elected will begin participation in Senate activity this week.

The new senators, first-years Kevin Guzman, Nnenna Onumah, Erika Hansen, and Micah Thorner, sophomore Nathaniel Stankard and Junior Yvonne Doble, were elected by over 600 voting students. Roughly 250 of these students voted via e-mail, with the rest filling out forms that were distributed to all students in their OCMRs. Student participation in the election was better than usual, according to sophomore Sarah Stein Greenberg, the Student Senate internal secretary.

"We were impressed that quorum was reached in such a short period of time," Greenberg said.

Still, improved voter turnout is a goal of every political group, and Senate is no exception, according to Stankard.

"It is my belief that election process reform is the biggest way that Senate can improve its visibility on campus. That means a blitz of information on who the candidates are, why they're running, and what the hell they're going to do once they're in office," Stankard said.

Senate Organizational Coordinator junior Chapin Benninghoff attributed the relatively small voter turnout to the youth of the majority of the candidates.

"The purpose of these elections is to allow lesser-known people access to the senate. First-year candidates know fewer people, so of course they're going to draw fewer voters," Benninghoff said.

Most candidates took advantage of the opportunity to post short statements of 150 words or less on Alpha to help voters make more educated decisions. In addition, senators were given the option of seeking endorsements from student organizations. Stankard was the only one to take advantage of this opportunity, however. He was endorsed by North Hall and the Bonner Program.

Candidates will bring a broad range of goals to the senate floor this year. Candidacy statements included such diverse issues as minority rights, campus unity and service to the student body.

"This senate is a government of the people, for the people, and by the people, no matter what color, race or age. My ultimate goal is to serve the people the best I can," said Onumah.

"One of my goals is to work towards a more direct connection between low income and minority students and the administration," Guzman said.

Larger voter turnouts are expected in the spring elections, as potential candidates develop supporters over the course of the first election.

"It isn't unusual for the voter turnout to approach 50 percent in the spring election, which is higher than America's presidential elections," Benninghoff said.

All of the new senators will chair and co-chair new Student Advisory Councils, designed to give the student body a medium to enact change on campus.

"Oberlin students have a great deal of power, and I think that Senate can help facilitate the optimal usage of that power," Stankard said.

The next few weeks will be a busy time for the new senators as they attempt to integrate their ideals and actions with those of the other senators. According to senator senior Joshua Kaye, veteran senators will serve as resources for the newly elected senators, helping them move into these and other key Senate positions.

"I think it's important for people to understand that the new senators are going to play just as active a role this year as we are, if not more," Kaye said.