Thought to have left the AUSA Senate in order to study abroad, Chris Dirgo Saturday re-assumed his position as AHUM/SOCS senator, to which he was welcomed by President Chris Adams who said Dirgo didn’t officially resign.
“He never sent me anything officially telling me he resigned from his position, so I can’t legally hold him to it,” Adams said of Dirgo who was elected in last spring’s elections.
“You can only miss three senate meetings a quarter before you are kicked out, so when we would have the AHUM/SOCS election, he [Dirgo] would have been done. The elections for AHUM/SOCS Senator are off. He’ll be there on Tuesday.”
The Senate met for the first time this quarter last week. Adams said he wants “to give the Senate back to the students.”
“We hope to reconnect Senate with the undergraduate population and rejuvenate renewed interest in student government,” Adams said.
Following up on his campaign last spring, Adams will make diversity a priority and hopes to allocate $25,000 to various projects.
“Expect the diversity committee to do a lot this year,” Adams said.
“They have the most money out of any Senate account. Senate will also be working closely with [the Center for Multicultural Excellence]. We are also hoping of working with the admissions to get diverse groups into the inner city high schools.”
Three of this year’s Senate members are returning members.
Amber Kirchenschlager returns as AHUM/SOCS senator, Erik Johnson who was last year’s on-campus senator is this year’s senior senator and pro-tempore, and last year’s freshman senator, Ben Burke, is this year’s DCB senator.
The Senate’s annual retreat, tentatively planned for Sept. 19 and 20, will set the foundation for the Senate’s agenda this year.
Although many student organizations go on a retreat, Adams said, the weekend will serve to develop the relationship among Senate members.
Vice President Micaela Morenz said, “Our upcoming retreat will be a time for us to crystallize some goals and set new ones, establish camaraderie within Senate, and lay a common foundation for the completion of Senate’s goals.”
