Senates announce election results
Both the St. Ben's and St. John's Senate have elected new executive board members through student popular vote.
St. John’s Senate (SJS) and St. Ben’s Senate (SBS) recently elected their executive boards for the upcoming 2024-25 school year.
The St. Ben’s Senate new executive board will consist of President Celine Ferguson, Vice President Jahmai Bastian, Trustee Lauren Voll, Treasurer Ashanti Humes and Public Relations Representative Olivia Shaw.
The St. John’s Senate new executive board will consist of President Ben Bugbee, Vice President Aubrey Sherman and Trustee Charlie Bills.
Bugbee’s election as president is historic. He is the second first-year in the history of the school to be elected as president of the student Senate.
St. John’s Senate has recently experienced some public turmoil in the past few months, including concerns about frequent turnover and representation of all student voices, but the newly elected executive board looks forward to moving past it all and making the students’ voices heard.
“Our primary goal is to amplify the student voice through impactful advocacy and collaborating closely with the administration to ensure that senators have representation on strategic planning boards,” Bugbee said via email.
St. John’s senators also look forward to working with and strengthening their connections with each other so it can be a welcoming space to share their thoughts.
“When I gather with the other senators every Monday night, I am able to share an experience with them and I am greatly looking forward to it,” Sherman said.
Bugbee noted an additional promise for the students at St. John’s University.
“We will aim to set a standard of excellence and progress for student government not only within our state but beyond,” Bugbee said.
The new executive board of the SJS also plans to prioritize transparency so the students and community always know what they are doing.
With the changes coming to the St. John’s Senate, there will also be some big changes coming to the both the St. Ben’s Senate and the St. Ben’s campus.
“One thing that the institution and St. Ben’s Senate are working on is the reconstruction of Gorecki Fireside so it can be a more cheerful and upbeat area for students to work on their studies as well as enhance the community that the college stands for,” Ferguson said.
Another big change will be the addition of a hair braiding salon in Mary Commons for students.
Bastian also looks forward to strengthening the connection between student body and the Senate.
The SBS hopes to implement town hall meetings in the upcoming academic year so students can voice their concerns to the Senate directly and receive quick responses.
St. Ben’s Senate also plans to strengthen their relationship with St. John’s Senate.
“We want to strengthen our connections with our counterparts from the St. John’s Senate so that there can be joint initiatives which would allow us to be able to work together and serve both student bodies better,” Ferguson said.
Shaw hopes to maintain a positive and frequent social media presence for the SBS.
“I am planning on continuing a positive and impactful social media presence and also plan to continue updating the CSB Senate bulletin board and keep the students, faculty and staff in the loop of what the Senate is doing,” Shaw said via email.
With the leadership changes, both executive boards want the Bennies and Johnnies to know that they are there to support them and want everyone to come forth about issues and suggestions to ensure that student voices are heard and recognized.