Elected by their peers, student senators serve on two committees, hold office hours, attend caucus and participate in public relations events in order to serve their constituents.

After two semesters of diligent work, new senators are elected and sworn in to the organization for the following academic year. Thursday, April 24, the 2013-2014 Student Senate held its final caucus and swore in the newly elected senators for the 2014-2015 academic year.

The meeting began with the presentation of the 2014 Sustainability in Higher Education Award by the U.S. Green Building Council of central Pennsylvania. The Shippensburg University Department of Facilities Management and Planning received basic Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certifications for Presidents Hall and Seavers Hall.

Lance Bryson, the vice president of the department of facilities, hopes to have McClean II, Lackhove, Kieffer and McCune all LEED certified in the future. There are also plans in the works to have the CUB qualified to receive LEED certification.

Once the remarks from Bryson and Darrell Miller, student association fiscal officer, were finished, Student Senate continued with committee reports.

Luke Perry closed his final caucus as president and passed the gavel along to Michelle Bradley, the newly elected president of Student Senate. Bradley inducted the new student senators and held the first official caucus of the 2014-2015 Student Senate.

The crowd moved from CUB 119 to the SU Foundation Building where the transition dinner was held. SU interim president George “Jody” Harpster thanked the students for their dedication to the university.

“The experience you have, the work you do…is truly a model for all students on campus,” Harpster said. Despite the large shoes the new senate has to fill, Harpster is confident that the students will live up to the challenge.

Each of the 2013-2014 senators received a plaque in recognition of their work.

Moving away from the more formal speeches, Luke Perry, Olivia Straka and Dylan Bensinger awarded superlatives to each senator. Some of the comedic superlatives included, “most likely to turn the senate office into a closet,” “Mr. Rogers award” and “most unique wardrobe.”

After a few laughs, additional awards were given to the staff member of the year, Ashley White, and faculty member of the year, Lucinda Elliott of the biology department.

Roger Serr, the vice president of student affairs, congratulated Student Senate on the work
accomplished. “The kinds of students I see are the future leaders,” Serr said. “I couldn’t be prouder to work on this campus with the kind of students we have.”

President Michelle Bradley stepped up to the podium to send off the senators and their guests with a last few words of praise.

“I have seen you all accomplish some amazing things, handle some extremely difficult issues and it was this that actually inspired me, that made me realize that we are accomplishing things here. You all inspired me,” President Bradley said. “And that’s why I’m still here, that’s why I’m coming back next year and working harder at this.”

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