33rd Student Senate fills five more chairs
New senators appointed two months before elections
Two months before elections, the 33rd Student Senate appointed five new senators on Friday, February 11, filling two commuter and three residential seats, all of whom currently plan on running for a seat next semester. This brings the total number of chairs available in the Student Senate down to four.
Angelica Kimball received the first appointment. Senator Dan Johnson gave Kimball the endorsement of the Appointments Committee. She represents the commuter constituency. Her brother Ezekiel Kimball is also a senator.
Lauren Justin, a resident of the Gorham campus, received the second appointment. Due to weather there was no formal interview before the Appointments Committee and the Senate opened the floor for questions. “I’ll join any committee that needs the most help. I’ll join [the] Finance [Committee],” said Justin when asked what committees she was considering.
Michelle Alger, a commuter who resides in Gorham, also received no formal interview before the Appointments Committee due to weather. When asked by the Student Senate what committees she was considering, she said “I haven’t heard much about [the Senate] which is why I want to be on the Public Relations Committee.” She suggested the Senate needed “perhaps more tabling.”
Brian Decampos received a residential seat. “I’m interested mainly in Finance committee and public relations committee,” said Decampos to the Student Senate. He listed the “liger” as his favorite animal.
Amanda Slatterly received the last appointment after arriving late due to vehicular problems. Senator Dan Johnson, reading from a document, said Slatterly expressed interest in joining the Student Affairs Committee. Johnson also gave Slatterly the endorsement of the Appointments Committee.
USM campaign season gearing up
Incumbent student senators wishing to retain their seats and the political upstarts who want those seats will have the opportunity to throw their hat into the ring starting on Monday, February 14. Intent to run forms will be made available in the Dean of Student Life Offices on both campuses and the Student Involvement Center in Portland. These forms must be returned to the dean of student life offices on either campus no later than 4:30 p.m. on March 9. Elections will begin on March 24, at 11:59 p.m. and end the following Friday. Students shouldn’t expect to see a voting box on campus as in previous years; all ballot casting will take place online.
This year candidates will compete for 21 seats on the Student Senate and for the newly created position: President of the Student Body.
Construction continues at center
Relief is on the way for both pedestrian and automobile traffic on Bedford Street. The Alumni Skywalk, which runs between the Amromson Center and where a flight of stairs were located between Luther Bonney and Masterton Halls, was recently finished. With the skywalk and the parking garage in their final stages of completition the Abromson center remains the last piece to finish on USM’s Bedford Street project.
The Abromson center is estimated to be finished by the end of April according to Carol Potter.
Dudley Greeley, Sustainability Coordinator for USM, said that the Abromson Center is expected to get a gold rating from Leadership in Environmental Design, their second highest rating. The building will use several sustainability solutions including solar panels on the roof, recycled wood and steel and using rain water to flush toilets.