By Nicole Acevedo, Assistant Editor
In recent months, the emphasis on amplifying students’ voices on Western New England University’s campus has intensified. One of the driving forces of this heightened recognition comes from the University’s Student Senate.
The organization is run by President Megan Hueras and Vice President Nicholas Tartsinis. Hueras and Tartsinis were elected by the student body and took office during the Spring 2021 term.
Following the beginning of the Fall 2021 semester, nine individuals were newly elected into Senate positions. The campaigning process began in September as election packets were made available through the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership and the Student Involvement Expo.
Over 30 students signed out election packets to run as a representative. Each packet contains a list of important dates, campaigning and election rules and guidelines, and a sheet to obtain signatures from constituents. Running representatives are required to attain at least 25 signatures in order to make it onto the ballot; however, it is strongly encouraged that they acquire more to avoid duplicates among candidates.
All packets were due on September 17, 2021. Election Day took place on Thursday, September 23, 2021. Voting took place in the Campus Center mall area between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., and it had a turnout of 260 people.
Ballots were counted at the end of the day, and the newly elected Senators were notified. The elected Senators and their positions are as follows:
Samantha McClenahan – Class of 2022 Representative
Matthew Hicks – Class of 2025 Representative
Hamad Sayeed – Class of 2025 Representative
Alley Estrella – College of Arts and Sciences Representative
Jordyn Harris – College of Arts and Sciences Representative
Patrick Riley – College of Arts and Sciences Representative
Cassidy Mylonakis – College of Arts and Sciences Representative
Lydia Barrett-Miller – Commuter Representative
Anu Mustapha – Commuter Representative
With the start of a new term come new ambitions: “For the Student Senate this year, we have a lot of goals. Something that Nick and I have said from the beginning is that we want to increase communication and better relationships between faculty, staff and students,” says Hueras. “Communication is a two way street between students and administration, and our goal is to build trust within those relationships for the best communication and collaboration as possible.”
Transparency and open communication between the student body and upper administration was a critical issue for the University community during the last academic year. Hueras and Tartsinis hope to bridge the gap between the two parties in order to ensure a better understanding of each other’s roles.
Hueras concludes by saying that she and Tartsinis “also want to really make an impact and leave a legacy for Western New England Student Senate. We want to set a precedent for future student senates, give future eboards the tools necessary to complete important projects that we did not yet complete (successful rollover), and truly make students feel like they can put their trust and faith in the Student senate to represent them and get the job done.”
