UF’s Student Senate christened the white walls of the new Senate chambers with the election of a new Senate president and pro tempore at Tuesday’s meeting.
Jenny Clements, (District A, Impact) was elected as the new Senate president, and Smith Meyers (District A, Impact) was elected as the new pro tempore at the Reitz Union Senate chambers. Both ran unopposed.
Janae Moodie (Public Health and Health Professions, Impact) and Ian Green (Business Administration, Impact) were chosen as the two members-at-large. Moodie received 68 votes, and Green received 55. Green ran against Dwayne Fletcher (District D, Access), who won 27 votes.
SG elected Clements as Senate president with all 84 senators at the meeting rising in support.
“I’m very excited to lead you all throughout this next term,” Clements said. “I’m excited to get to work.”
Meyers won pro tempore, also with 84 votes.
“I want to offer an open-door policy to all of y’all,” Meyers said, referring to senators from both parties. “If we can all develop that mentality, we will be able to accomplish so much good.”
SG held back-to-back meetings, welcoming newly elected senators as others finished their terms.
An amendment to the agenda passed during the first meeting, certifying election results for the Spring Student Government election held Feb. 17. Erica Baker, the UF supervisor of elections, didn’t attend the meeting.
A few tears were later shed as 12 senators gave goodbye speeches during the first meeting. Replacement senator Katherine Feldner also left senate.
Replacement senators for District A, B, C and D were approved unanimously. Dakota Stanford was unanimously approved to be on the allocations committee.
UF Student Body President Joselin Padron-Rasines spoke about the success of Gator Day, where senators, students and UF administrators traveled to Tallahassee to lobby for funding. She said she believes the students were successful in lobbying for Norman Hall and mental health resources.
“We have high hopes for the passage of the Norman Hall funding,” she said.
She also talked about how she launched an SG remote online voting code-revising task force for the 700 codes, with the hopes of online voting being implemented in the Fall. The Student Body passed an amendment for online voting during the Spring 2016 SG election.
Sen. Chris Boyett (College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Impact), was expelled from the Senate for failing to meet with his constituents during his time as a senator.
Former Senate President Pro-Tempore Jenny Clements is sworn in as Senate President by UF Student Body Chief Justice Andy Schein in the Reitz Union Senate Chamber on Feb. 23, 2016.
