Nick Shiach
Contributing Writer
Last weekend, the Student Government Association (SGA) chose six new senators to represent Wooster’s student body. SGA made the appointments to fill vacant senator-at-large positions that opened up after last spring’s elections.
“These seats became open as a result [of] students transferring or students studying abroad,” SGA President Maggie Sestito ’18 said. “It is important to fill these seats so SGA can continue representing as many student voices on campus as possible.”
The new senators are Jerry Altemar ’18, Juwan Shabazz ’19, Matt Mayes ’20, Grace Montgomery ’20, Alyssa Brown ’20 and Anna Medema ’20.
According to Sestito, existing senators chose their new colleagues from a pool of 10 qualified applicants, based on their written statements on campus involvement and ideas for SGA. To eliminate bias, the names of the candidates were removed prior to evaluation.
However, Sestito said this mechanism used to fill vacancies in the Senate, which does not involve an election, will soon be phased out. Terms will begin at the start of the school year, rather than the start of spring semester.
“We hope to see a bit more continuity with this new structure,” Sestito said.
All six new senators expressed their excitement for the opportunity to represent their peers in student government. They were also eager to begin work on the issues that matter to them.
Altemar, the only senior in the group, said he “hope[s] to [address] the lack of cohesion between the College and the community of Wooster [and make] the campus become more culturally inclusive.”
“[I’m excited because] I get to become the voice of the silent and the [unheard],” Altemar said.
Shabazz, the only junior, echoed Altemar’s calls for inclusivity.
“I wanted to become more involved in creating a safer and more inclusive community for all students,” Shabazz said.
Due to his experience as a Peer Mentor, Mayes hopes to “bring to light some of the issues that this year’s [first-years] are suffering from.”
“More information needs to be given on what resources are available on campus for these students to reach out to, as well as information on how to identify mental health problems and learning disorders,” Mayes said.
Meanwhile, Montgomery wants SGA to focus on “improving our parking system, increasing volunteerism on campus, and expanding the services of the Wellness Center.”
Brown, a member of Greenhouse, hopes to bring an environmental perspective to SGA.
“I think that the College could do a better job with sustainability and promoting environmental awareness. For example, many bathrooms have paper towel dispensers when we could utilize hand dryers or towels,” Brown said.
Medema hopes to improve SGA’s publicity and the College’s relationship with the city.
“I want to help the College connect more with the surrounding community and take advantage of the different things that the greater Wooster area has to offer,” Medema said.
The next SGA elections will be held in the spring semester.