Student Senate Speaker Jarrod Scherle, a senior finance major, gave the Student Senate’s eight committee chairs a challenge to come up with a goal and complete it by the end of their term.

Now, as the semester closes, those eight senate members reflect on the semester as a whole.

Alex Boyd, the diversity affairs chairman, said in the Feb. 2 edition of The Daily Eastern News that he wanted his committee to help unify the university.

Boyd said his committee helped sponsor the “EIUnity” diversity conference and helped work Eastern’s Social Justice and Diversity Week with the Residence Hall Association.

These events were to help bring knowledge of diversity to campus.

“I think we’ve taken a lot of steps to reach the goal (and) I feel like I’ve made a good start,” Boyd said.

He said the goal his committee chose will continue in the years to come.

“I want to take what I’ve learned and continue to help students,” he said.

Ed Hotwagner, the student affairs chairman, said he wanted to make the process of becoming a Registered Student Organization faster, he said in the Feb. 2 edition of The Daily Eastern News.

Hotwagner said he feels the student affairs committee has accomplished its goal.

“There was never a time where (the RSO candidates) had to sit and wait,” Hotwagner said.

Hotwagner said the committee approved between six to eight new RSOs this semester.

Hotwagner also said he wanted to increase the amount of advertising for programs and events.

“I feel like I’ve done as much as possible,” he said.

Mary Lane, the internal affairs chairwoman, is in charge of making sure members of the senate are following bylaws by working their required hours in the office and attending RSO meetings around campus.

“It was a very successful semester because we didn’t have to kick anyone off for not following bylaws,” Lane said.

Courtney Bruner can be reached at 581-2812 or cbbruner@eiu.edu.