Student Senate is a student ran organization that helps Ohio University be great. Student Senate is dedicated to looking out for the student’s greater interests. President Hannah Clouser dedicates a lot of her time to make Student Senate so successful.
”When I came the people I met there were just really passionate and interested in making a difference on campus and helping students in any way that they could,” Clouser said.
Her freshman year, Clouser was an intern on the governmental affairs commission she was involved with reaching out to state representatives and setting up meetings for the club to go there. After her freshman year she was elected as a SAC (student appropriations committee) senator (someone who allocates the money). She ended up studying abroad in the fall of her sophomore year, putting her Student Senate duties in someone else’s hands. While away, Clouser wasn’t too happy with how Student Senate was turning out.
“It kind of really changed it wasn’t what I thought it would be,” Clouser said.
After she returned, junior year, she was asked to run for treasurer along with a new president who had positive visions for Student Senate.
“We brought the organization back to where it is now,” Clouser said.
(Photo courtesy of Hannah Clouser)
After turning the organization around junior year, Clouser saw an opportunity to make even more of a difference and went on to run for Student Senate President.
“I just really saw a way to further the organization to be even more beneficial to students and that’s why I ran for president,” Clouser said
Around campus student senate has been making changes, some you might not even know, such as students can swipe in other people now even with a traditional meal plan.
“It affects a lot of students and its something a lot of students care about even if it may seem minor,” Clouser said
Clouser said Student Senate is working and doing a good job at getting their name out there and being more open and transparent.
“We’re live streaming our meetings now, so students can see that now even if they can’t attend,” Clouser said.
After fixing things internally last year student senate is actively working on tying to take those good internal changes they made and make a bigger difference externally.
As for her future, Clouser already has a job offer for next year. She will be working as a consulting actuary, her field of study, where she will be working with clients more rather then working in a company.
“Student Senate has turned me onto higher education in general… so, something I can really see myself doing in the future now that I couldn’t see myself doing before is coming back to be a professor,” Clouser said.
(Cover photo courtesy of thenewpolitical.com, Clouser is in the middle)