The Senate received a report regarding the Iowa State Safe App and filled vacancies on the Senate, including the swearing in of a new Senate speaker.

College of Human Sciences Senator Brandon Kamstra, a senior in kinesiology and health reported to the student body regarding new features. The Safe App is available for everyone at Iowa State including non-Iowa State students, such as friends and family visiting for the weekend, according to Kamstra.

“There’s a lot of different tabs […] but the main three they created for this are the mobile blue lights, campus information and the suicide and crisis hotline,” Kamstra said.

For more information about the app and how to download it, visit the website.

Vacancies in the Student Government

President Jennifer Holliday, a senior in agricultural studies, spoke on the need for many positions to be filled in the Student Government. There are vacancies in the Senate and Supreme Court and various members at large, who fulfill specific roles given to them by the student body. There is also a need for members in the election commission and the executive cabinet, Holliday said.

The Senate confirmed several nominees for Senate seats and confirmed College of Engineering Senator Anna Hackbarth, a senior in electrical engineering, as speaker of the Senate. Hackbarth was the former chief of staff for Holliday.

Hackbarth, following her confirmation by the Senate to fill the engineering senator seat, was then confirmed as speaker.

“We’ve seen a lot of lovely faces leave us and I want to turn that around,” Hackbarth said. “I want to rejoin the Senate, bring my expertise, bring my experience and really try and get us back on our feet again and heading in the right direction.”

Hackbarth was questioned whether her prior position as chief of staff would influence her decisions as a speaker and supporting the Senate.

“Senate was my first love, and I represent the students, and I represent you guys as senators, that is my priority,” Hackbarth said.

The Senate confirmed Cody Swank, a senior in human resource management, to fill a vacancy on the Senate for the College of Business. While speaking to the Senate, he said he “welcomed change.”

“We’re lacking in diversity initiatives, so I think ramping those up and getting our attendance up [is ideal]…I just love change,” Swank said.

The Senate also confirmed Erik Rolwes, a sophomore majoring in industrial design, to fill the vacant College of Design Senate seat. All candidates were confirmed by unanimous consent.

Regarding the chief of staff vacancy, the Senate confirmed Stacia Drey, a senior in journalism and mass communications, to the role. Drey has fulfilled various roles in Student Government and managed for the Iowa House of Representatives.

“The biggest priority for me should be management […] I found that chief of staff would be the person to keep directors in line and also be kind of overseeing committees and just make sure everything is going well and so I think that I would be a really good person to do that,” Drey said.

Two new directors were also confirmed at Wednesday’s meeting: Mia Kawamitsu, a journalism and mass communications senior, was confirmed as the director of international student experience, and Khushi Patel, a sophomore in finance, was confirmed as director of information technology.

In Kawamitsu’s address to the Senate, she stated that she had goals to add an international film to Cyclone Cinema.

Patel said that she had a major plan to update the website to be more inviting and easier to read for students interested in Student Government.