Student senate is something that most students don’t think much about when they arrive at Las Positas College. When they walk into a recently built building or into Elite Café, student senate would actually be one of the last things that they would think of.
But in fact, the student senate plays an important role in making all of those structures and conveniences come to fruition.
At LPC there are 20 student senators that all serve on one committee each and one sub-committee. These committees range from assisting in the selection of which company nabs the contract for the soon-to-come food court and even student learning outcomes.
“The senate does much more than we give them credit for,” student senator Priscilla Chavez said.
All of the senators have standard office hours and can be found during their respective times in the student government building. Senators also meet on Fridays and at other times, all for nothing more than an addition to their resume and a general willingness to help and represent the student body.
Chavez’s committee is Student Learning Outcomes; something that she says most students don’t even know exists. She wants to change that and is open to responding to any questions.
“Anyone is more than welcome to call me or shoot me an email,” Chavez said.
Student government also has a Facebook page. According to senator Eric Bolin, a website for student government is also in the works. Bolin, who is capping off his third semester at LPC says that once he became involved in student government, he saw the campus in a different light.
“I think a lot of people look towards student government for diversity,” Bolin said. “It was a great way to get to know other people, and get to know people in a business sense. You’ve got a goal to get all these activities to the students and to reach out to the students.”
Bolin says that one of the hardest things for him has been working with a contractor to get their website up. “There’s so many different areas, I’ve learned a lot on how to rely on other people, how to communicate. It’s been a good learning process,” Bolin said.
Chavez, a public relations major, also said that she wanted to be more involved. Both plan to transfer within two or three semesters.
For a student to become a senator, it is relatively straight-forward. Candidates are required to submit an information packet and get 150 signatures from stu- dents supporting their candidacy. From there, students would meet with ASLPC coordinator Cynthia Ross, and then be approved as a member.