Correction appended.
New officers were sworn into office during Student Senate on Wednesday, and outgoing officers shared their sentiments about the past year.
The students sworn into office included Eliza Ivan as president, Elaina Tartal as vice president and Simar Kalkat as treasurer.
“By seeking nomination to this office, each of you has indicated a willingness to serve in a student government at Ohio University during the 2021-22…academic year,” Jenny Hall-Jones, advisor for Senate, said. “By election, your peers have indicated their acceptance of your offer to serve, and have expressed confidence in your ability to serve them.
Other officers were voted into various positions tonight by members of Senate, all of which had nominations sponsored by Ivan, Tartal and Kalkat.
Students who were appointed to positions included Celine Freetage as chief of staff, Emily Ertle as director of public relations, Hannah Fleming as chief justice to the judicial panel and Ellen Gill-Franks for a Students Defending Students leadership position.
Several commissioners were also appointed to Senate, including Luvina Cooley as the LGBTQ+ affairs commissioner, Molly Pennington as the governmental affairs commissioner and Megan Handle as the women’s affairs commissioner.
Outgoing officers also took the time to reflect on their past year of leadership, including Ian Carter II, outgoing president and senior at OU.
“We made it through this chaotic year and we did our best to be the voice for Ohio University students,” Carter II said.
Additionally, two presentations were shared during the meeting regarding finances at OU. One was shared by Deborah Shaffer, senior vice president for finance and administration and chief financial officer at OU, and the other was shared by the two student trustees.
Shaffer presented the current financial situation at OU to Senate members and how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected finances.
“You will see impacts from the pandemic on some of these enrollment projections, and we will be continuing to evaluate how students and learners make decisions about ongoing education post-pandemic,” Shaffer said.
Eliza Ivan, treasurer for Senate, also brought up recent events that have occurred in the U.S. and encouraged students to use their voices and speak out against injustices.
“Yesterday, Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all charges for the murder of George Floyd, but there still needs to be change,” Ivan said. “Ma’Khia Bryant was murdered by Columbus police officer Nicholas Reardon yesterday. Please work to educate yourself on how you can help and how you can educate yourself further.”
Correction appended: A previous version of this article stated Brogan Speraw was appointed to Senate, which is false. The article has been updated to reflect the most accurate information.
