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Elizabeth Pulanco/ Winonan

Dear Elizabeth,

As a member of the Winona State community it bothers me that students are not worried about what goes on in Student Senate meetings. Why do they not care what goes on, and why is it important for students to care about what goes on in student senate?

Sincerely, a concerned member of the WSU

Dear Concerned,

I understand your worries and your concerns. I think students don’t really pay attention to what is going on in Student Senate, because they think their voices or opinions don’t matter. It is a similar thing seen with national voting. Some people don’t go out and vote because they don’t think their vote will count.

Another problem here is students are not interested in going out and educating themselves about the topics being discussed at the meetings. Many students have a lot on their plate. If a student is not in the senate, there is a pretty good chance they have never even heard about a proposal that is being passed or considered. The way to fix this would be to try and engage more with the students. The elections definitely help gain their participation, but more could be done.

A way to try and get the students more engaged could be a partnership with UPAC when planning certain events. I know student senate sponsors the movie showings during orientation week, which is a good start. The event could also be centered around a certain interest or cause that Student Senate is focused on.

Student Senate meetings are open for students and faculty to attend and voice their opinions. The students may not know that they are more than welcome to attend the meetings.

Student Senate is an important part of the community and it makes many decisions that impact the lives of students and it is important that students are aware of these decisions. Some of these decisions include giving money to student clubs on campus, and also creating legislation that will affect the cost of tuition. Student senate also works directly with people from MSUSA.

With most students, they have classes and activities and their friends. Some students also have jobs. If there is a way to make Student Senate appeal to the masses, then student will find the time to fit it in to their schedules.