The Student Senate election process has officially begun.
About 15 students attended an informational meeting about running for a student body officer position on Monday. About half of those students are new faces to senate.
“I was really pleased to see the amount to non-senate students there and that they are applying for a student body officer position even if they haven’t been in senate,” election sub-committee chair Sarah Nichelson said. “It was also good to see senate members there too, it was a really good mix.”
Student Body President Nick Swiatkowski was not present at the meeting. He said he is unsure what his plans are for next year.
“I would like someone else to take on the position, it’s a great opportunity for someone to take., but I’m waiting to see who else will be running,” he said. “I have not decided whether I will be running, but I am about 99.9 percent sure I will not.”
Student Body Vice President Tricia Anklan was also not present.
“I have not announced candidacy for a student body officer position,” she said.
New to senate are sophomores Andrew Englebrecht, social work major, and Dan Aler, secondary eduction major. They said they are hoping to run on a president/vice-president ticket together.
“We live on the same floor and we always talk world news and politics,” Englebrecht, who was approved as a senator this week, said. “I asked [Aler] to run with me as vice president. I figured we both can bounce ideas off each other and we agree on a lot of things and we can relate to a lot of different people on campus.”
Sophomore accounting major Jeff Baumgartner said he is running for treasurer for the experience.
“A bunch of people are telling me to do this,” he said. “ I am a accounting major and it would give me experience. I am in a fraternity but a Student Senate position gives me the opportunity to relate more to Bradley.”
Although there were many students outside of senate at the meeting, there are several senate members running for SBO positions as well.
Newly elected Internal Affairs Chairman Zach Lattman collected a petition for at the meeting to run for president.
“This university has given a lot to me and a lot to the hundreds of thousands of students who have passed through,” he said. “I want to give back to the university and make changes to ensure that it continues to be a positive place of influence.”
Senior marketing major Devon Schulz is also a current member of senate. She said she is running for the position of vice president.
“Really the whole organization has inspired me,” she said. “I came in new this year as a senator and I don’t want my time on senate to be over.”
Students who are still interested in running for a SBO position can access a petition from either the Student Activities Office website or the Student Senate website.
To qualify as a ticketed candidate, petitions must be completed and turned in at a mandatory meeting on March 9 in the Alumni Dining Room.