Freshman Matt Fry has never been part of the Baker University Student Senate.
Now, as the new treasurer due to write-in votes, he is excited about the position.
“Normally executive members have been involved. I just kind of got thrown into it, I guess you could say. It’s new waters for me,” Fry said. “I was running for a position just in my class, but then I noticed when the executive voting came around, no one had decided to run for treasurer … so I figured ‘Hey, I can get enough people to write me in.’ So, I went around and started campaigning that night.”
Dean of Students Cassy Bailey said she did not know who was going to win the election.
“What surprised me most out of everything is how many write-in votes Matthew Fry got,” Bailey said. “Obviously he’s very liked by his fellow students.”
Sophomore Caleb Watts defeated sophomore Hannah Schaake for the position of president. Junior Erica Vest was voted in over junior Chelsea Pennock for the vice president position.
Sophomore Anna Richards ran uncontested for secretary, as did sophomore Jourdan Miller, who is the new public relations chair.
“I’m so excited for them,” Bailey said. “It’s a wonderful group of students, and I think they will build tremendously on everything that the past student senate has put together. I think the past student senate organization has given them a good foundation to build up.”
Bailey hopes the new senate officers will reach out more to the student population to let the students’ voices be heard, so students understand what senators are doing as elected officers.
Honesty, communication and willingness to speak as the voice of the student population are what Bailey hopes for the new executive board members to do in their positions.
Watts, wants to reach out to his peers as well.
“I’m nervous about making sure I get things done, so that’s the biggest thing,” Watts said. “And making everyone happy.”
Watts is ready for his new position and the transition from being sophomore class vice president to becoming the new student senate president, and filling the shoes of former president Warren Swenson.
“Warren did a really good job,” Watts said. “He’s very involved and he’s on the ball all the time. We’re going to work on our transition from one to the next. I want to try to continue a lot of the things that he’s working on now. Those are pretty big shoes to fill, but I think I can handle it.”
Fry said with this position, he wants to make sure that organizations and clubs on campus are getting the funding they need.
“My goal is to make sure the funds for student senate are going to where they will benefit the students the most,” he said. “I just want to reorganize them into the right direction.”
With Watts as president, Vest continuing a second term as vice president, Richards continuing as secretary, Fry as treasurer and Miller as the public relations chair, Watts said the officers will be prepared when they begin running the student senate meetings.
“I’m ready,” Watts said. “I’m going to bring kind of my own approach to it.”