By: Allison Cobb
There is just under a week before campaigning ends for the Student Government Union Senate Elections.Many people are unaware of how the Senate operates and who manages the elected Senators.The Vice-President Operations, Mikael Coleman, is the individual on SGU Executive Board who the elected representatives will report to.Coleman took a moment to explain why the Senate is so important. “Student Government Union Senate is an extension of SGU’s E-board. They are a group of elected 25 students who become the voice and the face of the campus,” said Coleman. The other person that oversees the Senators is the advisor for the Senate, Mr. Frank Orlando, an instructor of political science. Both Coleman and Orlando emphasized that they want to make the Senate more visible to the campus this year. Coleman said that he has been working closely with the new advisor. When Orlando was asked about his goals for the Senate this year, he said “more involvement, more engagement, more visibility, and more transparency.” They plan to make the Senate known to the student body by becoming more organized, hosting more events, and showing Saint Leo what they have to offer. Orlando continued on to say that students on campus have an impact on their student government. This can be done by voting, keeping up with the activities, and talking to the Senators to help them see the students’ point of view. Students can voice their input for what money goes to certain clubs, what events are held, and what performers arebrought to campus by getting involved with the Student Senate. “We both believe that if we buckle down together and work hard with the senators then we will have a successful year,” said Coleman. A total of 48 candidates applied, but only 42 were eligible for candidacy after meeting the minimum requirements. This year the candidates were asked to confirm their availability granted that their are no conflicts with their schedule. The election day for the Senators usually occurs the second Tuesday of September at 12:01 a.m. and ends at 11:59 p.m. The elections are scheduled for Tuesday Sept. 12, pending Hurricane Irma. As of 5 Sept., the following lists of candidates that have confirmed their availability
consists of the following:
Jaclyn Bokowsky
Kenneth Wybieracki
LyZandra Serrano
Giulia Gourgue
Edna Hernandez
Mercedes Contino
Sarah Bermudez
Katherine Holzapfel
Selena Giordano
Laurian Simpson
Amanda Luce
Mikaela Masa
Jacquelyn Diaz-Cobo
Smive Guerdley Aurelien
Taylor Underwood
Kadyann Stupart
Maxx John Brown
Rose Foley
Johnmichael Hernandez
Melissa Kathleen Opie
Quiwanaki Ramsey
Margaret Sroka
Christopher Fernandez
Atiya Lee-Brown
Zarrar Nashman
Jeanine Ramirez
Skylar Heyward
Dulce Estrada
De’Joun Redden
Gina Marie Mejias
Celine Deon Palmer
Danielle Meikle
Romario Williams
Nephtalie Jacques
Shantae Whyte
Maeisha McDermott
Kiera Jeremiah
