Columbia’s Student Government Association announced its need to fill senator positions to new students at its first senate meeting of the Fall 2016 Semester.

The meeting, held Sept. 6 at the Loft, located in Columbia’s 916. S. Wabash Ave. Building, brought together potential recruits, SGA’s five executive board members and Coordinator of Student Leadership David Keys. During the meeting, the elected board members  addressed what being involved in SGA entails.

“Being a senator means you are passionate about your department and the collective student body you’re representing,” said Megan Perrero, SGA executive vice president and a sophomore journalism major. “[It means] you have a drive to better the school and everybody’s experience.” 

Kaela Ritter, SGA president and a senior business & entrepreneurship major, said senators’ main responsibilities are reaching out to their departments, discussing key issues with chairs and holding forums for department members.

Candidates choose from a list of open positions and must acquire 50 valid student signatures to apply, according to Ritter. After the candidate speaks with the entire senate about their qualifications, board members take a vote.

According to Perrero, students have already applied for senate seats, but none have been filled yet. 

Executive Vice President of Communications and junior theatre major Bree Bracey said SGA hopes to set a precedent and fill every senator position this year.

“We’re looking for students who are hardworking, dedicated and are committed to not only solving any issues they see in their department, but seeking out those issues, communicating with other people in their department and coming up with ideas for how to improve [them],” Bracey said.

Freshman cinema art + science major Jazmin Bryant said she is applying for the department’s senator position. She added that she has always been involved in school and wants to bring a different outlook and opportunities to the department.

“I know awesome things happen at Columbia,” Bryant said. “[I want to] continue to push and make sure there are events and that students have a voice through me and make sure everybody feels equal and [as if] we are all one family here on campus.” 

Perrero said students should reapply for another position if they are not chosen for the department they wanted.

“We want everybody who wants to be a part of SGA to find a spot,” Perrero said. “If [they] are already making the effort to come here, we’re super excited, and we want [their] spunk, we want [their] energy, we want [them] to be a part of this organization.” 

Elections will take place at the Sept. 13 SGA meeting, according to Ritter.

According to Perrero, SGA is able to help the student body when the college can not.

“If people are looking to get involved and want to make a difference but don’t really know how, SGA is the perfect way to segway into that,” Perrero said. “We have the resources for people to make the change they want to [see].”