With a packed audience, the University of Idaho’s ASUI Senate announced their selected candidates to fill the six vacant seats in the roster during their meeting on Wednesday.
Shaundra Herrud, Miles Whitling, Erik Nelson, Carlos Vazquez, Austin O’Neill and Glenda Alfaro were appointed to the senate for the duration of the semester, except for Herrud who has been appointed to a year-long term.
Shawn O’Neal, director of student involvement, took to the podium during the open forum to congratulate everyone who ran for a senate chair.
“I was hoping for 10 or 15 applicants in total,” O’Neal said. “We combed the field and still had 17 applicants to choose from. This is what we need to be an outstanding representative student body, and I hope we continue these efforts.”
The feelings of gratitude and pride were echoed by many ASUI members such as Vice President Catherine Yenne, Sen. Zachary Spence and Pro-Tempore Jordan Kizer.
Pro-Tempore Kizer said although the senate could only appoint six, the decisions were very hard to make due in part to all of the candidates being well qualified.
“It was a very, very difficult process in choosing,” Kizer said. “Those of you who were not appointed tonight, I want you to be encouraged that you were selected to go on to the second phase of this process. Many of those who were not selected tonight had vehement proponents in the senate tonight who really were rooting for you to be appointed.”
Kizer said although the turnout may not have been what some candidates wanted, he urged all those not selected to run for senate again next semester, or year.
Besides the appointment of new senators, ASUI Senate also addressed and approved the allocation of $4,000 from the general reserve to update computers in the ASUI office.
“Currently a lot of computers in the ASUI office are having a lot of issues, working very slowly or not working at all,” said Sen. Nicole Skinner, who sponsored the bill. “I think we owe this to our office to ensure that students can do their best work.”
Sen. Spence gave the motion a second, and recalled times in the past when updated technology would have prevented inconveniences for student groups and individuals.
“We have had a number of student groups who have come into the office and experience a great number of issues,” Spence said. “ Presumably with the wiggle room provided in this fund there will be some upgrades that will help fix that issue, and thus making that space more omittable to the students whom (the computers) are there for.”
Andrew Ward can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @WardOfTheWorlds