Student senate kicked off the semester with updates, appointments, and attempts to fill vacancies.

Grace Crickette, Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administration, and Lieske Giese, Director of the Eau Claire City-County Health Department, presented in the open forum and answered questions senators had. 

Crickette was asked about rumors circling campus about revoking the mask mandate once student vaccinations reach 70 percent of the student body. She said she had not heard these rumors, and that the administration had not discussed this matter.

Senators then updated the body on what they had done over the summer, what events were coming up, as well as encouraging their colleagues to join their commissions.

In their roles as senators and directors, members of the Senate must sit on committees, Student Body President Jaden Mikoulinskii said. These committees serve to aim to solve more specific issues facing the university and student body, such as housing issues and finance. 

The bulk of the meeting was spent nominating members to seats on these committees. Most of the appointments were self-nominations, though some were nominated by their colleagues. 

In the case where more nominations are accepted than there are seats available, the body moves to a secret ballot to appoint members they see most fit. There were a number of these votes throughout the meeting. 

The Senate then proceeded on to personnel matters, specifically filling the vacancies of the communications commission director and parliamentarian positions. 

Rebekka Vold, a third-year integrated strategic communications and public relations student, presented to the Senate, aiming to fill the communications position. Thomas Miller, a first-year political science student, presented to fill the parliamentarian position. 

Both nominees were subject to a question-and-answer period and were voted on in closed session. 

Neither passed the Senate.

The Senate is unable to conduct official business without a parliamentarian, so approving a nominee is very important to the Senate, Mikoulinskii said.

If the body does not fill the parliamentarian role, the Vice President, Justin Schilling, can serve on an emergency interim basis. Miloullinkskii said this would interfere with the financial compensation available for the future parliamentarian when appointed. 

The meeting adjourned at 9:14 p.m. 

The Senate is headed to their mandatory retreat this weekend and will reconvene at their normal meeting time, 6 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 20 in the Dakota Ballroom.

Kelley can be reached at [email protected]