In an effort to ring true to Mississippi State University’s diverse population, the Student Association is revamping the Senate class. 
Currently, each student is given two votes to put towards a senator in their respective college, with the larger colleges having more candidates and senators elected.
Each candidate is given one week to campaign, and after election, 22 senators are voted into senate.
Now, each student will have two more votes during election season—two votes that go towards an organizational senate seat. 
Senator-at-large Lexi Landry said the 400 plus student organizations registered on OrgSync are split into 11 voting categories, including cultural, departmental/professional, faith-based, performing arts and recreational. Two senators will represent each category, creating 22 organizational senate seats.   
Landry, a senior marketing major, said the current senate class is made up mostly of white, Greek students, which is not representative of the amount of diversity on MSU’s campus.
“This is not to say we don’t want Greek students on senate,” Landry said. “But not a lot of people have a chapter of 200+ people to back them during campaigning. Adding organizational seats means it will be more about the merit of the candidate.”
In addition to adding organizational seats, SA Vice President Layton Little said Bill 20 also created two senate seats for transfer students, which will accommodate the growing number of transfer students MSU receives each year.
The addition of organizational and transfer-student seats have been discussed for several years, but after continuously seeing efforts fall short, Little said he and SA President Tyler McMurray took matters into their own hands.
“This is important because these seats encourage students that typically would not run within their college to run and represent the student body,” Little said. “These new voices on senate, we hope, will represent all the different voices on campus to voice concerns for the organization they ran from and the entire classification that they represent,” he continued. 
Students who are interested in running for senate can fill out a form of intent on OrgSync. 
Once logged in, students need to visit the SA OrgSync page to find the correct form.
After completing the form of intent, students are required to attend a mandatory candidates meeting at 5 p.m. Tuesday in Taylor Auditorium in McCool Hall. Each candidate will have two full weeks to campaign, and votes will be casted Sept. 19. 
The newly elected senators, Little added, will be announced that night and sworn into office by Tyler McMurray. Newly-elected senators will complete the rest of the term with the current senate class.
Throughout her time on Senate, Landry said she has grown as a person, which is why she encourages everyone who is interested to run.
“Of course we are nervous to add 22 more senators to our class, but we are all still so excited,” Landry said. “It is just more fun when you have more ideas in the room.”
For more information on organizational or transfer-student senate seats, email Layton Little at [email protected].