Senators prepare for year during retreat

New and old student senators attended a retreat last weekend at Punderson State Park by Cleveland to organize and discuss new duties. The retreat also served to introduce new senators to the senate process, assisting them in their efforts to become active participants as soon as possible.

"I must say that the retreat was something to write home about. I was able to learn about what a Senate is, the dos and don'ts and the goals a senator has to live with," newly elected first-year senator Nnenna Onumah said.

Focusing on equal opportunity for action, one of the goals of this retreat was to make sure that new senators understood their role in the Senate. New senators are expected to participate as actively as veterans in the senate process right away, and it has been made clear that they should feel completely comfortable doing so, said Senate Organizational Coordinator junior Chapin Benninghoff.

"This retreat did a hell of a lot towards breaking down the dichotomy between new and old senators," Benninghoff said.

The recent reorganization of the Senate has put Senate veterans in much the same place as the newly elected, relieving pressure on all, according to Benninghoff.

"In many ways there are no real veteran senators . . .the reorganization of the senate has put us all in a learning position," Benninghoff said.

Last year, Senate experienced a period of turmoil when many senators resigned in order to protest its ineffectiveness.

During the retreat, internal elections for officer positions were held. Officers, in charge of such things as Educational Outreach and Organizational Coordination, are intended to help organize Senate activity and serve as a resource for other senators as well as the student body.

While no new senators were elected to these positions, their role in Senate proceedings this year will be an important one. Along with other non-officer senators, the newly elected are expected to lead the new Student Advisory Councils. Intended to more effectively integrate the student body into Senate procedure, these advisory councils will focus on specific issues, setting the agenda for Senate proceedings.

"Students who are interested in being active and creating positive change on this campus will find that the advisory councils are a way to work with a knowledgeable, motivated group of people who are focused on one issue," Senate Internal Secretary Sarah Stein Greenberg said.

Senators plan on actively encouraging the student body to participate in these groups so that students interested in having a voice in campus policies and proceedings will have the opportunity to do so.

"If you have a bitch, gripe, ambition, hope, or simple insight you belong on an advisory council," Benninghoff said.

While the themes of these groups have not been formally decided, some potential issues that are being discussed include support for minority communities, issues for off-campus students and curricular issues, as well as working out Oberlin's new health plan, according to Greenberg, Benninghoff and Senator senior Joshua Kaye. The themes of these groups will be finalized in this Sunday's plenary session, which will be open to the student body.

"The Student Advisory Councils are going to end up being issue specific and get things done," Kaye said.

In addition to discussing the Advisory Councils, senators worked through lobbying strategies and discussed internal rules and by-laws. Associate Dean of Student Life Bill Stackman, Joel Whitaker, OC '97 and former assistant to President of the College Nancy Dye and senior Matt Green, Dye's current assistant, attended the retreat to serve as resources on these and other issues.

"It was good to establish a working relationship with these people," Kaye said.

Another important issue senators discussed was the role of the Student Senate as a trouble-shooting organization for the student body. This role allows the Senate to provide the student body with opportunities to more effectively deal with College administration and is recognized as one of Senate's primary responsibilities. "We're going to have 30 office hours per week and senators who know every dean and director on campus on a first name basis to serve you," Benninghoff said.

According to newly elected sophomore Nathaniel Stankard, this year of learning and reorganization will prove to be crucial in defining the future of the Student Senate.

"We have a new constitution, more direction than I've seen in a long time and a lot of enthusiasm. The next semester will essentially, in my view, make or break Senate on campus," Stankard said.