Connecting with constituents is one of the biggest priorities for the Government of the Student Body as they held their annual “Meet Your Senator Day”.

On Wednesday afternoon GSB Senators and cabinet members stood outside of the Parks Library talking to students about GSB and asking students about things they liked and what they would like to see changed.

“GSB senators really do want to meet with their constituents and holding events like these is just another way that GSB senators are reaching out to the student body,” said Jake Swanson, a College of Agriculture senator and a junior in global resource systems.

During the meet and greet event, members of GSB put up a poster board along with posted notes and encouraged students to write down what they liked about what GSB was doing, what they thought they should do better, and any concerns that the students had that the senators should look into. A few comments that students made pertained to the cost of tuition, the need for more emergency call towers, and the idea that professors are not concerned about students’ time.

“We hope that students will come up to us and know that we are out here working for them,” said Chief of Staff Andrew Gall, a senior in mechanical engineering, “and that we want to hear their comments, concerns, and have them ask questions of us.”

The Meet Your Senator Day event allowed for senators and students to interact in a less formal way than their usual Wednesday night meetings. This event also gives way for students to get more comfortable with their senators and to also meet the person who is representing them. As Gall put it, “this event shows that we are students just like them.”

Many students voiced comments and concerns, and some voiced praise of the student government.

“It’s great to know that our student government is very approachable and willing to discuss my concerns as a student,” said Emily Kroloff, a junior in animal ecology.

Throughout the afternoon as senators chatted with students, senators encouraged students to take a more active role in student government and to give more feedback to GSB so they could understand student issues better.

“We have had more participation from students with specific concerns, this shows that students are moving from awareness to action,” said Austin Ballhagen, an off-campus senator.

Ballhagen also noted that this year’s event had a smaller turnout than last year’s but pointed out that they had gotten more specific student feedback this year and that they had more senators involved this year than with last year’s.