In their first meeting together, the new-looking Student Government heard new voices and saw new people take over government seats. 

After Vice President Megan Decker got through her opening statements and attendance, she gave the mic to her running mate, President Julia Campbell. Campbell gave a recap of her and Decker’s first week in office that included their inauguration that took place Tuesday.

“Looking back in our first week in office, we’ve had transitional meetings and some of the first orders of business, we’ve had numerous meetings with members of the outgoing administration as well as Iowa State’s administration to prepare for the upcoming year,” Campbell said. 

After Campbell’s statements, the Senate jumped into the process of electing their new government officials. 

Though the election concluded two weeks ago, the Inter-Hall Residence Association (IRHA) still needed a senator for representation. Jaden Ahlrichs, a sophomore in global resource systems and horticulture, was confirmed unanimously by the IRHA and Senate. He touched on what he brings to the table as a senator. 

“Things I’d like to get done and work with in Student Government, especially in the IRHA, is just incorporating those residence halls more, rebranding that IRHA name, especially in the Student Government body,” Ahlrichs said. “Also, being a global systems resources major, food waste on campus is something I would always love to improve. I know ISU Dining already has a lot of great things, but there is always room for improvement there.”

The next and most-debated bill of the night concerned the seat of speaker of the Senate. With Emily Rizvic, a senior in political science, Dawson Weathers, a senior in political science and philosophy, and Advait, a senior in mechanical engineering, computer science and political science, all vying for the spot, it took three separate occasions to narrow down the winner. 

After speeches were made, the first vote saw none of the senators obtain enough votes to win. Another vote was conducted after Weathers and Advait had the most votes. However, this did not decide the seat as the Senate split evenly, and Decker became the deciding vote and ultimately chose Weathers. 

Before the decision was made by Decker, Jacob Ludwig, former speaker of the Senate, gave his two cents on the matter and came out to support Weathers. 

“I think he has a good approach to the role,” Ludwig said. “I think he came out and said it right away that as a speaker he is not better than any of you. The things he wants to do, he wants to work on with you, and I think he has a very achievable platform.”

Ludwig also gave insight on what the duties are for speaker of the Senate. 

“Having an achievable platform matters because most of the work that they’re going to do is just managing the Senate week to week,” Ludwig said. “Having a litany of projects isn’t always the best approach to the job because I found a lot of it is simply just guiding senators and helping them deal with different things they are working on.”

After Weathers was confirmed to his new seat, his new co-chair, vice speaker of the Senate, was up for nomination. 

Eliana Crabb, a senior in hospitality management, won the seat and touched on her experience outside of Student Government and why she fits the position. 

“I love being in communication with people, I love making people happy and excited with what they are doing, so with that, that is how I learned my people skills and realizing that there are so many different types of people out there in the world,” Crabb said.

Other positions filled included the chair of Student Initiatives Committee, which Advait was reelected to the seat by unanimous consent. The chair of Civic Engagement Committee acquired a new official as Sen. Sonja Paulson, a junior in marketing, was elected. 

As the night ticked toward 10 p.m., the last bill concerned electing a senator to the Student Fees and Tuition Committee. Victoria Fillipi, a sophomore in political science, won the position and spoke about what she wants to achieve in her new position. 

“College already costs too much so every fee needs to be closely looked at and monitored,” Fillipi said. “I will diligently work with students and the university to make effective and meaningful recommendations concerning special student fees, which will be communicated to the president and Board of Regents.”