Since commencing his second term as student speaker of the senate, Isaac Sandidge has implemented an improved student senate member mentorship program that begins today.

“We’ve had really young senates before, but now we have even more senators who are either brand new or beginning their second semester on the senate,” he said.

Though the student senate bylaws state that it is the job of the student speaker to oversee a mentorship program, Sandidge said one was not implemented for the fall semester and has not been enforced in past years.

“We had one when I started on the senate in the fall of ’05, but it was really kind of weak,” Sandidge said. “It’s really, really hard to get this thing working and to find something that works effectively, but we’ve improved the program and we’ll be pushing it this semester.”

For the next eight weeks, the 11 new student senate members will be paired with veteran members in order to get acquainted with the political process.

Sandidge described the initiative as an opportunity for seasoned senate members to share their experiences with structuring resolutions and representing the student body.

The program will conclude with an evaluation that will enable Sandidge to garner feedback and make revisions.

He said the program is already off to a good start since every member of the senate attended orientation on Sunday, which has not happened since he first joined in the fall of 2005.

Sandidge intends for the effort to instill an understanding of elections rules, proper senate behavior, parliamentary procedure and adherence to the dress code.

“I’m hoping to get new senators up to the level where they’re comfortable representing students on the senate floor while skipping the semester transitional phase where they try to adjust on their own,” Sandidge said. “We want them to be ready to jump up and speak out on legislation, which may be a bit of a struggle, especially with the fee increases.”

Every year around the end of March, the student senate tuition and fee review committee receives notifications of proposed fee increases that, if approved, will take effect on students’ bills the following semester.

Once the committee determines an opinion on the proposals, they present a resolution to the student senate, which then debates the approval of the increases, before taking a vote.

If the senate disapproves of the fee increases, Eastern’s Board of Trustees can ultimately override the decision.

“We scrutinize these proposals when they come to the senate,” Sandidge said. “If they want to take our money, they have to prove that it’s worth it.”

In the event that a fee increase receives insufficient support on the senate, Eric Wilber, student senate executive vice president, who is also a member of the Board of Trustees, can choose to defend the decision in the final vote.

Aside from working to prepare new senate members for the obligations ahead, Sandidge has declared his only goal to be helping senate members to achieve their own goals.

Sandidge reflected on a shift in the amount of people who apply for senate positions over the years, as well as the quality of servitude to the student body.

“We’ve had some really, really good senates in the past, and we’ve had some really, really bad ones,” he said. “The senate members are only going to get out what they put into it.”

He has also witnessed a reduction in the number of students who appeal to the senate for progressive change on campus over the years.

“It feels like apathy is getting a lot greater,” Sandidge said. “It’s now a whole different cohort of people.”

Sandidge hopes that the senate will see an increase in student interest regarding the issues the senate addresses, and says that the members will continue to reach out, whether conducting surveys at Coleman Hall, conversing with students in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union Food Court, or using Facebook as a means of communication.

“We want to give students something they care about,” Sandidge said. “I think we should hear more from students about their issues. The university is really receptive to listening to students’ needs.”

Erica Whelan can be reached at 581-7942 or elwhelan@eiu.edu.