Written by: Student Senate Executive Cabinet

Students of Elizabethtown College,

Student Senate would like to thank you for another successful year! We have greatly appreciated your overwhelming support.

Throughout the year, we have implemented new channels for students to submit their concerns, including the new Canvas “Anonymous Senate Submission Forum” available under the Senate Elections section as well as our March “Whine and Cheese” event, where we talked with students about what Senate could improve on campus.

Rest assured, we have not let these concerns fall through the cracks. In fact, two members of Student Senate will be piloting an ACORN program that pairs the students with members of the Board of Trustees. This opportunity gives Senate the chance to raise student concerns directly to the Board.

In our own meetings, we have met with Senior Staff twice this year.

Senior Staff, who includes President Carl Strikwerda, Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students Marianne Calenda, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty Betty Rider, Vice President for Administration and Finance Robert Wallet, Vice President for Institutional Advancement David Beidleman, Interim Vice President for Enrollment Management George Walter and Executive Director of Marketing and Communications Elizabeth Braungard, addressed a range of hot topics, such as enrollment and long-term planning, tuition, shared governance and transparency, recruitment and the College’s finances.

Another project Senate started this semester is the Travel Plan. This plan, created to help students who drive to unpaid internships with the financial burden of gas, was put into motion due to suggestions from the student body.

Students involved in this free program will receive up to $50 by simply filling out the Google form and student log we made available on the Student Senate website, etownsenate.com. Although applications are no longer being accepted, we plan to offer this program again for the semesters to come.

Every year, Senate creates committees tasked with researching a few projects that would benefit student life, and this year we have explored two new concrete projects.

The first project would fund an internal Senate committee to buy stringed lights for the Academic Quad. These lights would be wrapped around the light poles in the Academic Quad to increase light, but also add more spirit to the campus.

If the project is ultimately accepted by the committee, the lights would be added around November on a six- to eight-hour timer before being taken down in March or April of the following year.

The other project would add cubby spaces in the Marketplace for students to place their bookbags and other supplies.

As of now, students place their bookbags on the floor as they eat, and this initiative would prevent the floor near the entrance to the Marketplace from cluttering.

Finally, Senate is excited to introduce two new $500 scholarships that will be offered next spring. The first, the Student Employee Scholarship, is for a student employee with a strong commitment to work-study balance. To be eligible for this scholarship, students must be nominated by their direct boss on campus.

The second scholarship, the Marianne Calenda Health and Wellness Scholarship, is for a student who embodies and promotes physical and mental well-being. This scholarship was created to honor Calenda, who has helped implement more opportunities on campus for physical and mental well-being.

As your Student Senate Executive Cabinet, we look forward to serving you next school year. We are excited to continue to represent you, and we hope to hear more of your voices and opinions on the things that happen around campus. As always, we are open to student suggestions and we encourage you to keep in touch with us.

As we approach the end of the semester, Senate would like to wish you all good luck with finals! Have a safe summer, and we will see you again in August.

Your Student Senate Executive Cabinet:

President- Holly Francescone
Vice President- Emily Seratch
Secretary- Tara Young
Treasurer- Josh Baker
Clubs Chair- Sarah Conway
Elections Chair- Katie Freed
Publicity and Marketing Chair- Emily Perry