The Student Government Senate saw two confirmations and a bill funding supreme court outreach initiatives during Wednesday’s meeting.

Jacob Ludwig, president of Student Government and a senior double majoring in economics and political science, said with only 58 days left in this session’s terms, it is important to complete projects the Senate has not yet resolved.

“Fifty-eight days,” Ludwig said. “I don’t know if you’ve looked at the calendar any time recently, but we are now less than two months away from the end of our term. So please, start projects—or actually don’t start projects—and finish the projects that you’re on.”

Confirmations

The Senate unanimously confirmed Ryan Renger, a freshman majoring in political science, as an associate justice.

During questioning from the Senate, Renger explained he has yet to take any judicial classes to prepare for his new role but is confident that his political science experience and communications with other justices have provided him with the information to help prepare him.

“I believe my political science classes have given me an insight into the Constitution and government, which I think along with my own personal research should make me able to ascertain the constitution and kind of interpret that in a way that will be interpreted the correct way,” Renger said.

Renger also said he is dedicated to sticking with the position of associate justice; however, he expressed interest in pursuing other offices in the future.

“I do hope to stick around as long as possible,” Renger said. “I have thought about other elected positions, but for the time being, I would like to serve on the supreme court as long as possible and wait for those options as they come.”

The Senate unanimously confirmed Ludwig’s nomination of Nathan Scott, a senior in supply chain management and a former justice on the supreme court, as director of affordability.

During his time with Student Government, Scott said he has been engaged with the inter-residence hall association, the student initiatives committee and has served as a supreme court justice.

“I think one thing that’s really attracted me to director of affordability specifically is that it allows me to take a more proactive role,” Scott said. “[This is] a chance to do one last thing for the student body before I graduate.”

Scott said he hopes to help students in his final months before graduation and believes that the director of affordability is the best place he can do this.

“It got to a point where I realized the executive branch—it’s just simply a matter of greater flexibility when starting initiatives,” Scott said. “The big thing the judiciary does is only if someone else initiates it or needs our help.”

Scott said his primary project of interest is continuing a shuttle system between campus and the Des Moines Airport for students in need and putting together meal-prep kits for Iowa State’s student food pantry.

Funding supreme court

In a 25-0 vote, the Senate moved to fund the supreme court $273.60 for poster advertising.

Brady Schlueter, chief justice and a graduate student in political science, said the proposal is to provide some advertising for the supreme court to assist in finding new associate justices for the upcoming year.

“We’ll get into contact with more than just the people that social media would get us to because on social media that requires people to follow our pages, and that’s not necessary for them to see posters that are going to be all over campus– the 200 some posters,” Schlueter said.

United Residents Off-Campus Sen. Alex Cecil, a senior majoring in agronomy, said the court has tried many methods to reach out to the student body but has yet to be successful.

“I can just attest that [during] my time on the court, we tried many methods—social media, emails, word of mouth—and it hasn’t been super effective, and I think a new route is probably best,” Cecil said.

New Business

Next week, the Senate is set to address a request to transfer $53,129.50 from their special projects budget to the sustainability committee for solar-powered recycling compactors to replace faded and damaged decals on existing compactors. The funds will go towards procuring 10 new trash compactors, decals and the installation cost.

Blood Drive, a student organization that organizes annual fall and spring blood drives according to the student organization database, is requesting $500 from the Senate to go toward event space costs.