Alabama State University’s student senators held their first senate workshop Sept. 17, as a professional development workshop for the newly elected or appointed senators to acquire knowledge of how the senate works and Robert’s Rules of Order.
During the workshop, Senate President Trint Martinez offered several icebreakers, giving the senators several scenarios about a typical problem on college campuses.
The students were put into two groups. One group had to express why they were against the scenario and the other group had to articulate why they were for the scenario. According to Martinez, this exercise will help when the senators have to discuss real-life issues going on around campus.
Martinez announced the senators who are taking on new duties in the senate along with their new positions.
Jade Davis will serve as the senate pro tempore, Chavon Brown will serve as the senate secretary, Asia Turner will serve as the senate parliamentarian, Kameelah Freeman will serve as the senate assistant and Clantoria Phillips will serve as the senate sergeant-at-arms.
The committee chairs for the senate were also selected. Chantal Jones will serve as the Student Interest Committee chair, Eldric Coleman will serve as the Allocations and Appropriation Committee chair, Asia Peoples will serve as the Confirmations and Replacements committee chair, Kamil Goodman-Lumzy will serve as the Constitutional Revisions committee chair, Josey Dumas serves as the Appointments committee chair and Rutez Jones will serve as the Rules and Ethics committee chair.
The workshop concluded with a mock senate meeting, where the senators go through everything they may need to know and say during a real senate meeting. The students went over several terms that are used, the process of passing a bill and how to address each other professionally.