Student Senate passed three resolutions on Monday night: a resolution to support Indigenous People’s Day, a resolution to support National Coming Out Day and a resolution to support October as National Disability Employment Awareness month. 

The first resolution passed was the support of Indigenous People’s Day. This resolution supports the recognition and celebration of Indigenous People’s Day on Oct. 14 in place of Columbus Day. The Eau Claire City Council previously passed this resolution in 2017.

“Indigenous People’s Day is important to our community,” Kayde Langer, a student senator, said. “Especially since this whole country stands on indigenous land.” 

The second resolution passed was in support of National Coming Out Day, which takes place on Oct. 11. It is a day for awareness of LGBTQ individuals who are “coming out” and aims to create a safe environment for those individuals. 

The LGBTQ community is one of the largest on campus — large enough to have a designated floor in Towers North Hall called the Rainbow Floor, where LGBTQ individuals and allies can live and grow with each other. 

The resolution supporting October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month was passed. The purpose of National Disability Employment Awareness Month is to spread awareness and to support people with disabilities in the workforce. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 19.1 percent of people with disabilities were employed in 2018. 

“As a public comprehensive university, we need to educate all students to understand and be able to challenge unequal structures of power and privilege,” the UW-Eau Claire website said. 

Four students were elected to be a part of the Student Senate. Those students are second-year student Edison Flottemesch, second-year student Erin Smith, third-year student Lucy Chapman and third-year student Keisha Kappel.

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