Student Senate has pushed back its original deadline for new candidates at the end of February to March 15. With the campus closings early in the semester, senate has had trouble getting new candidates for the upcoming academic year and had to push back the original deadline.

Normally the start of the spring semester senate hits the recruiting trail hard with tabling events, a candidate forum and class room visits. There are currently five candidates for the Student Senate, not enough to do a full candidate forum, and with less class time, instructors have been less willing to give up 10 minutes for senators to come by and speak.

Class room visits have been successful in the past and is how current Student Senate President Steven Ansorge first joined the senate.

The Student Senate is a chance for students to not only learn governing skills, but also grow as leaders, and learn how the college operates as a whole.

The Madison College Student Senate was started in 1961 and according to Ansorge, the senate used to work mostly on agendas for other clubs. The current senate is a built-in part of the Madison College policy decision making.

“Students have a permanent seat at the table while designing and planning operations plans for the college,” said Ansorge

While Student Senate may not be unique to other tech or community colleges, the senate’s role has had an influence on the college. Senate has pushed forward the textbook referendum and the resource fair, both happening last fall. Past senate initiatives have included the metro bus pass being available for students along with a photovoltaic heated bus stop.

“I’ve never seen a system that has student input built in directly,” said Ellie Rome Student Senate Advisor of the Madison College Student Senate.

Rome a new advisor that started at the beginning of the fall semester has seen the impact that the senate has had on the college.

“It’s really cool the change that they’ve made even in just the six months that I’ve been here, thinking of some of the issues they’ve addressed in hunger and the textbook referendum there are going to be some major changes on campus because of both of those things,” said Rome.

Students that join can impact not only the college, but themselves.

“If you would have asked me two years ago if I could see myself as the leader of thirty some thousand students and representing them, I would have laughed at you,” said Ansorge of his own personal growth joining the Student Senate.

The senate is a place where students can connect not only to the college as a whole but to other students as well

Maia Lathrop Vice President of Team Development has been in Student Senate since March of last year and has enjoyed her time in senate.

“I get to practice being a professional adult, scheduling my time wisely, networking with important people, and I like the community of the senate itself good to be on a team and know that everyone has your back,” said Lathrop

The senate is going to once again hit the recruiting trail hard, hoping that they can grab some more candidates, as many senators will be leaving once the spring semester wraps up. But if no new candidates turn up by the March 15 deadline, the senate does plan to move forward with the candidates they do have.

To apply to be a senator go to madisoncollegesenate.org and if you see them tabling in the cafeteria or during a classroom feel free to ask them questions.