Four newly elected freshmen senators placed their hands upon a Bible and vowed to complete their expected duties as they were sworn in during the meeting, held Tuesday, Sept 25.

When Tyler McCoy, senior history major and president of student senate, was leading the senators through their swearing in, the words seemed very familiar. As it was just months before when he himself swore to fulfill his responsibilities as president. As this is his first year in the role, McCoy wants to focus on “uniting the campus and community” and more events for students.

“My goal is always to have the senate be a place for students to have a voice and to enrich the students and the university,” McCoy said.

During his time as president, McCoy wants to “see the senate continue to succeed,” as he says it has done in his previous three years of involvement. McCoy says that he had the opportunity to get to know the elected freshmen by their attending of the meetings. He looks toward their involvement in the senate.

“I want to lead them, but not in the way where I am telling them what to do, but rather facilitating,” McCoy said.

The four freshmen, who were elected following last week’s voting, joined the senate’s three established committees: recycling and campus beautification, budget and finances and event planning.

The committees, which meet regularly each meeting and discuss relevant topics for approximately 10 minutes, present a summary to the senate and attending public covering highlights of their discussions at the end of the time period.

McCoy says that typically these discussions where senators talk and “bounce ideas around” are the “meat” of each senate meeting. Though these sessions are typically just 10 minutes McCoy says that they are effective.

“We collectively get our stuff done,” McCoy said.

T.J. DeNofrio, junior pre-law major, was president last semester while McCoy studied abroad in Belfast, Ireland. Now having transitioned into his previously held role as executive vice president of the senate, “keeps busy” through his position.

“This another thing that keeps the scheduling going and me on my toes,” DeNofrio, who also works two jobs and is head of the Republican club, said.

As a member of the campus beautification and recycling committee, DeNofrio mentioned in his summary his group’s new goal to potentially establish a produce garden within the university.

To oversee and give feedback on these ideas, DeNofrio encourages student involvement and attendance of the meetings.

The role of the senate is to do what is best for the campus and the community,” DeNofrio said. “And to achieve that we need feedback from the people we are representing.”