Though Student Senate members go on to pursue different career paths, some credit senate with their ability to take on leadership roles.
Hannah Clouser, 2016-17 Student Senate president, will be going to New York to work as an actuarial associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where she interned last summer.
“I literally have the job that I’m going to because of a Student Senate alumnus,” Clouser, a senior studying actuarial science, said. “I met him when I was treasurer. He’s a partner at PWC. He was senate president in ‘91.”
Clouser said her experience being president has helped her learn and strengthen many skills, such as problem solving problems and her “people skills.” However, she would’ve liked to connect more with the Student Senate body.
The role of the president in Student Senate is very external, so the person in that role tends to get wrapped up in external affairs, rather than internal, Clouser said.
“It’s very easy to just focus on external things and not be involved with the body,” Clouser said. “I wish I would’ve made more connections with the body overall.”
Gabby Bacha, 2015-16 Student Senate president, is attending Loyola University Chicago as a graduate student within the higher education M.Ed. program. Bacha works with the Department of Residence Life as an assistant resident director.
Bacha said her experience as a former president led her to solidifying her desire for higher education, and being a resident assistant led her into her position in the Department of Residence Life.
“In my role as president, I was charged with advocating for students on multiple fronts, and I realized the importance of being an advocate for students,” Bacha said in an email.
Bacha said the position was challenging and helped her build long-lasting friendships and an understanding of university procedures.
Past Senate presidents Megan Marzec, Nick Southall, Anna Morton and Zach George did not respond to requests for comments.
Marzec served as president during the 2014-15 academic year and was known for doing the “ALS Ice Bucket Challenge” with fake blood in the beginning of her term because she wanted OU to divest from Israel. Marzec worked to give OU students the right to vote in general body meetings at the time.
Southall was in office for a shorter amount of time during the 2013-14 academic year, but he left his mark in declaring that Student Senate is not a public body and is able to take votes behind closed doors. Southall resigned after being arrested in Florida for disorderly intoxication.
Shortly after Southall left office, Morton, then vice president, stepped up to the role of president and was able to pull together a full executive board after the treasurer stepped down following Southall’s resignation.
During the 2012-13 academic year, George was the Student Senate president and put together a comedy night at The Convo.
“There is a ton of responsibility within this role, and you have to balance the interests and longevity of the institution with the interests of the students,” Bacha said. “This responsibility and balance is difficult to achieve.”
Landen Lama was elected to be the next Student Senate president and was inducted at Wednesday’s meeting.
