Fifteen new members of Hillsdale’s Student Federation were sworn in Jan. 19 at the governing body’s first meeting of the semester.
Almost the entire federation consists of new members. Aside from the four officers, only two 2016 representatives returned: sophomore Thomas Ryskamp and junior John Gage.
Student Fed also introduced its new faculty adviser, Assistant Director of Student Activities Ashlyn Landherr, who is replacing Student Activities Director Anthony Manno.
“I want to encourage you all to transcend your position,” Landherr told the federation. “Don’t just do what’s asked of you; go above and beyond. Always remember that you’re students serving students.”
The federation also selected the chairmen and members of its eight committees.
Sophomore Ross Hatley is Student Fed’s treasurer and will serve as the Finance Committee’s chairman in accordance with the federation’s constitution. The committee’s six members are the first to hear funding requests from campus and decides whether to recommend full, partial, or no funding to the full body.
“I’m looking forward to helping develop the wonderful club proposals that make Hillsdale’s student life so vibrant,” Hatley said.
Student Federation Vice President junior Maria Theisen will chair both the Philanthropy Committee and Elections Committee, as also required by the Student Fed constitution.
“For Philanthropy Committee, my goal as chairman is to clarify this committee’s role and hold two events per semester,” Theisen said. “In regards to elections, I hope to streamline the process a bit more, and encourage a larger portion of campus to vote.”
The Rules Committee examines the Student Federation constitution and bylaws to ensure that the federation follows proper procedure. Freshman Rep. Matthew Clark is its chairman.
“As chairman of the committee, I will continue to hold the members of the federation accountable to the rules we establish for ourselves,” Clark said.
The Club Oversight Committee regulates clubs currently active on campus and investigates proposed new clubs. Ryskamp, the committee’s chairman, said he hopes to compile a list of all of the college’s active clubs and encourage a diverse and vibrant student community.
Student Federation President sophomore Andres Torres is responsible for overseeing all of the committees. He said he hopes to make Student Fed more efficient and transparent by publishing meeting agendas earlier, enabling students to know ahead of time which funding requests Student Fed will consider at each meeting.
Student Fed has eight committees: the Publications Committee, Finance Committee, Club Oversight Committee, Rules Committee, Professor of the Month Committee, Election Committee, Campus Improvements Committee and Philanthropy Committee. Each committee has a chairman and a designated number of members, which varies from committee to committee.
The Publications Committee handles the college’s written publications: The Collegian, the Winona yearbook and the Tower Light. Sophomore Natalie Meckel will be publications chairman this year, assisted by six committee members: Ryskamp, Gage, Delta Sigma Phi Representative sophomore Mitch Albert and freshman Lukas Swenson, Matthew Montgomery, and Sigma Chi Representative freshman Jackson Frerichs.
The Finance Committee consists of five members and the chairman, which is Hatley. Clubs requesting funding from Student Fed must first appear before the Finance Committee for a preliminary hearing. The committee then decides whether to recommend full, partial or no funding when the Federation meets to discuss it. Although the federation may override the committee’s recommendation, it rarely does so.
The Finance Committee will consist of Delta Tau Delta Representative sophomore Adam Cieply, Kappa Kappa Gamma Representative sophomore Jenna Biggs, junior Brendan Noble, and freshmen Samuel Musser and Charles Adams.
Student Federation Vice President junior Maria Theisen will chair both the Philanthropy Committee and Elections Committee, as required by the Student Fed constitution. She will be assisted on the Philanthropy Committee by members Adams, Orlaski, Hawersaat, and Meckel. The Elections Committee has not yet been determined.
The Rules Committee examines the Student Federation Constitution and bylaws to ensure that the federation follows proper procedure. Clark will serve as chair for 2017, assisted by Ryskamp, Noble, and Swenson.
The Club Oversight Committee regulates clubs currently active on campus and investigates proposed new clubs. Ryskamp will chair the committee, assisted by committee members Gage, Meckel, Montgomery, and Clark.
The Campus Improvements Committee, chaired by Cieply, will consider propositions to improve student life throughout the year. Montgomery, Ryskamp, Clark, Noble, and junior Gina Hawersaat will serve as committee members.
The Professor of the Month Committee recognizes one faculty member each month for a professional achievement or outstanding service to the student body. Biggs will chair the committee, assisted by Adams, Meckel, Hawersaat, and Alpha Tau Omega Representative junior Josh Orlaski.
