With Baker University Student Senate election results just in, new officers said they have a lot planned for next year, and a major senate concern is how to get more of the campus involved in the organization.

Junior Allyssa King, who was elected vice president, said she is excited to be in a position to help the university.

“I wanted to serve as vice president because I really have a passion for making Baker more successful,” she said. “There’s always room for improvement, and I think there are some things on campus that can be done.”

King, who served as junior class secretary and treasurer this year, beat out junior Michelle Burton for the position.

Also newly elected were junior Kim Kilmartin, who will be student senate president next year, and Scot Rogers, who will serve as secretary.

Junior Jacinta Deruso, who was elected treasurer, said the election results reflect the direction student senate hopes to go in the future.

“The number of people we got to the polls was very impressive,” she said. “Next year, I see senate doing big things and being more involved with events that will be going on around campus.”

One thing senate hopes to accomplish next year is generating an increase in participants, King said.

“The numbers are somewhat of a problem right now,” she said. “I think it’s hard at Baker because it is so small of a school, and students are involved in so many things.”

One way senate members hope to boost attendance is by getting involved with activities around campus.

“We are going to go to different organizations on campus and try to make an impact on campus,” King said. “If we had a group of people who are more dedicated to it and have more passion for it, we could do more for the school.”

Right now the numbers are low, and freshman student senate member Casey Smith said sometimes it’s difficult to meet quorum.

“This week we almost didn’t have enough people to hold a meeting,” he said. “I wish more people would get involved because senate can really benefit students.”

In an attempt to garner better participation in elections, King said student senate members passed out coupons to Taco Bell and Mr. Goodcents to students who voted.

“The outcome of the elections was pretty good,” she said. “The gift certificates really got people to go out and vote.”

King said she estimated nearly 100 people cast their votes this week for student senate executive officers, and some students even gave feedback about what they’d like to see happen around campus.

“I think senate’s role on campus right now is listening to students’ concerns and problems and doing what we can to fix them,” she said. “But that’s hard to do if we don’t have the numbers.”

Because of the lack of participation from students this year, King said Rogers suggested having a smaller student senate committee.

“We have to do something,” King said. “I wish more people would come to us with ideas and get involved.”