SGA elects eight new senators Monday night

The Student Government Association held Senate elections Monday night, filling all but one of the previously vacant seats in the Senate.

Detroit junior Demetrius McCloud, Muskegon junior Sara Otoole, Comstock Park sophomore Taylor Gehrcke, Saint Clair Shores sophomore Kevin White and Saginaw sophomore Marie Reimers were elected, while three — Center Line graduate student Jon Schuler, graduate student Binu Prabhakaran and Midland graduate student Michelle Steidemann — were elected to represent graduate students.

Schuler said his position as a graduate student brings a valuable perspective to the SGA Senate.

“The graduate student body is a lot different from the undergraduate body,” Schuler said. “I think it’s just a different experience looking at things through my perspective.”

White hopes his presence in the Senate brings increased accessibility to the SGA, and said he wants a greater effort put toward posting current information on SGA’s legislation and initiatives on the the group’s website.

“SGA is not very accessible to individual students who are not involved in a RSO or the student government body,” White said. “If we are to be successful, we need to inform students about our organization.”

While White hopes to better the SGA with his stay in the Senate, Reimers plans to improve the college as a whole in terms of diversity. Reimers cited plans to pursue the addition of a women’s center to campus, and also said she plans to present legislation that would require RSOs and professors to take diversity training. Reimers also stressed educating students about new voter ID laws, which critics of the legislation claim discriminates against minorities.

“I’m a woman myself and I’ve experienced sexism,” Reimers said. “I know what it’s like to be persecuted.

“I definitely think the Senate gives you an unique perspective. You kind of have a more narrow constituency, which gives you greater ability to make changes.”