As the legislative branch in student government, senators at West Texas A&M University are making it a priority to fairly and accurately represent the student body and push for positive change on campus.

Some students might not be aware of the power the Senate has to make waves. The Senate can draft a bill and make a statement about it. If passed, the bill will then move to the student body president to be signed and eventually passed on to the president of the university, who has the final say. If signed by Dr. O’Brien, a student bill will be made into law.

“We want to be a voice for the students,” Lupe Acevedo, senior Communication Studies major and senator for the College of Fine Arts and Humanities, said. “It’s our goal to bring the university together. We basically push people to get things done faster. If students come to us with a problem, we can go straight to those in charge and tell them something needs to be done immediately.”

Acevedo said although he is a senator for a specific college, he also represents the needs of the organizations he is part of, his friends and the student body as a whole.

“I joined student government because I am an advocate of societal change through proper communication,” Air Kamal, junior Pre-Physical Therapy Biology major and senator of the Agricultural and Natural Sciences Department, said. “Students can make their opinions heard by communicating with their senators. It is a direct way the student body can affect the university. I believe that any place can be made better by properly communicating issues to the authorities in charge who can implement change.”

Kamal, also vice chair of the Public Relations Committee in the Senate, said he thinks it is important to be brave enough to take the qualities you possess and use them as tools to make the university a better place for everyone.

“I feel that since we are students ourselves, it is important for us to make decisions based on our own interests from a student point of view,” Belle Guillory, sophomore Marketing major and senator for the College of Business, said. “Who knows what students want more than students themselves? Many students probably don’t know that we hold a lot of power. I learned that student government is actually the reason why we have Buff Print, Legacy Hall and many other resources. I wish more students understood this so they would reach out to us more.”

Acevedo said although there are some vacancies in the Senate for the Graduate School and the College of Business, they are actually doing quite well as far as Senate capacity is concerned.

“If you want a voice or someone to represent your interests, don’t be afraid to attempt to fill a vacancy,” Acevedo said. “We would love for the Senate to be more diversified, which would allow for input from all over campus.”

Acevedo, Kamal and Guillory encouraged those with interest to get connected with their respective senators and find ways they can contribute to student government, including visiting the Student Affairs office in the Jack B. Kelley Student Center for more information.

Acevedo also said eventually they hope to have a feature known as Senator Center, which will allow students to become familiarized with their senators and give them a way to reach them with questions and concerns.