With the elections taking place Monday and today, the day the elected senators are approved they will be vote for the new speaker of the Student Senate. Current speaker Jason Sandidge will not be running for the position again. The candidates running for speaker are senators Jarrod Scherle, Alex Boyd, and Tommy Nierman. Scherle, a senior finance major, has been a senator for six consecutive semesters, said that he can withstand the position.

“I have never been more confident that I am ready to take this position because my work load will be lightest next semester than it ever has been,” Scherle said.

Scherle has also had experience on the executive board last year as vice president for Business Affairs, and is the only candidate that has had an executive board position. Scherle said that there is a complaint with student government that they don’t reach out to the students.

“In my time as an undergraduate, I have participated in numerous areas of student life that have allowed me to network with different groups of students. I plan on using these connections to make the students feel like they have fair representation in student government,” Scherle said.

Boyd, currently the chair of Student Affairs Committee, with two semester of senate under his belt, is also running for the position of speaker.

“Over this past semester I was successful in putting on two events that helped strengthen the bond between student government and the students,” said Boyd, a sophomore political science major.

He also noted that as the parliamentarian of the Student Senate, he has gained a greater understanding of the rules and regulations of the senate.

“But the thing that I know will aid me the most is my desire,” Boyd said. “The desire to help the students and to make this university reach its fullest potential, and help ensure that the needs of the students are met.”

The last candidate, Nierman, recently announced after careful consideration that he would be running for speaker as well. He will not be running with any party affiliation. Nierman is currently the chair of the External Relations committee and has served four semesters on the student government.

“I think I would be a successful speaker because I have run the external relations very well this semester, along with the programs that come along with it,” said Nierman, a sophomore business management major.

Nierman also attended a conference in Texas called COSGA, Conference on Student Government Associations.

“I think I can take Senate in the right direction. We can accomplish more goals and get on top of stuff,” Nierman said.

Jacob Swanson can be reached at

581-2812 or jjswanson2@eiu.edu.