Student Senate opens 2025-26 school year with discussion on Senate initiatives, student engagement with clubs
2025-26 Student Senate officers being sworn into office. From left to right: Quinlan Hendrickson, Kayla Korb, Emma (VanTol) Kettelhake, Ramona Ojeda.
Photo credit: Nora Betts
By Nora Betts
Managing Editor
The Student Senate began its first meeting of the fall semester on Tuesday by encouraging student engagement with campus clubs, promoting Senate initiatives and promising to serve as a voice for the student body.
The Senate exists as a bridge between students and Concordia administration, said Secretary Kayla Korb.
“We’re here to help you guys, the students, and be a bridge between SLO and Weller and the student body,” Korb said. “If you guys have concerns about campus that you want to change or to be addressed, we really want to come and help you guys.”
President Quinlan Hendrickson said that club leaders should add their meetings and events to the “This Week at Concordia” emails from the Student Life Office, which are sent to the entire student body. Students can submit events to the calendar through a link at the bottom of the email.
Hendrickson said that survey feedback shows students want to know when clubs host their meetings, and the weekly calendar offers a simple way to spread the word beyond social media followers.
Treasurer Emma Kettelhake said officers are compiling a list of ideas for a campus project funded by the Student Senate. Voting on the campus project will be open to the entire student body, not just Senate representatives.
Ideas include planting more trees at the “hammock village” next to Jonathan Hall and creating firewood storage at the outdoor chapel behind David Hall, Kettelhake said. Students can make suggestions through the QR codes found on Student Senate flyers across campus.
Kettelhake encouraged students to start thinking about running for Senate office in the spring semester, since all four officer positions will be up for election. Officers must be active representatives of the Student Senate for at least a semester before running for election.
“It seems a little bit preemptive to already be talking about this, but we want to make sure that Senate is in a healthy position for next school year already, and with all of us being seniors, that’s not exactly ideal,” Kettelhake said.
