After several months of discussions and debates, the Student Senate ended its last official business meeting on April 6.

The meeting also marked the announcement of the new Senate officers. Only one person per position ran for the next semester, therefore, no elections will be held.

Junior Eric Norris will take over for junior Eric Ducommun as Senate president. Junior Greg Salzer, State News Editor for The Chart, will take over for senior Rahila Kahn as vice president. Garrison Earnest will take over for senior Kelli Friga as treasurer.

And Kristen Duwe will take over for senior Amber Hemphill as secretary.

“I would like to congratulate the new officers on their election,” Ducommun said.

The Senate also saw the return of two organizations from the March 16 meeting.

Representatives from Phi Alpha Theta came during the March 16 meeting to request funds for initiation fees into the organization for those students who could not afford to join. The finance committee recommended zero dollars due to the manner of the request.

Discussion and debate followed the recommendation, but the Senate finished with approving the recommendation and allocating no funds.

PAT returned on April 6 to request more funding.

Again, the finance committee recommended zero dollars.

This time, however, the Senate voted to allocate the organization $400.

The Collegiate Middle Level Association was the other organization to return to Senate after the March 16 meeting.

During the first discussion, the finance committee recommended to allocate $180.85 after the organization requested $1,000.

The Senate discussed the matter for several minutes before coming to a conclusion.

Senators had several questions for Friga.

“Remember, this is the Senate’s decision,” Friga said. “I don’t even get to vote.”

Other members of the finance committee agreed with Friga and asked senators to consider the reasons for the CMLA’s request; a reimbursement for plane tickets for three people to a national conference in Ohio.

The Senate then voted to allocate $450.

During the second discussion, the Senate voted not to give the organization any more money. The finance committee agreed.

“We’ve had great discussions tonight,” Norris said during the March 16 meeting. “I’d like to thank you all for that.”

Several other organizations came to the last meeting of the year, requiring the senators to suspend the rules to hear their arguments.

The Russian Club requested funds to send Thaddeus McCleary to the Russian Consulate convention in Houston to receive an award for an essay he wrote on the results of the end of fascism in Germany and the implements of the Cold War.

“He’s willing to put his sweat into it,” said Hector Amaya, freshman senator.

McCleary represented himself and said he was willing to pay part of the traveling expenses if necessary.

The Senate voted to allocate him $465.

The Respiratory Therapy Club also received $1,000 to go to Tan-Tar-A at Osage Beach, Calif., for a national conference, giving the members a chance to become more prevalent to hospitals in the area.

Three resolutions were also approved by the Senate during the last meeting.

Brandon Busick sponsored a resolution to begin the process of adding metered parking to the campus.

The resolution passed.

Also, Salzer sponsored two resolutions to improve the handicap access of certain areas on campus including the Biology Pond pavilion and the Billingsly Student Center.

Both passed.

Also, during the March 16 meeting:

* The Sociology Club received a $280 allocation.

* The Radiology Club received $810.

* The Student Ecolonomics Club received $1,000 to sponsor and work on campus-wide Earth Day celebrations.

“It will benefit the whole campus,” Friga said.

* The Psychology Club received a $264.16 allocation.

* Freshman Orientation was untabled from the floor and received $1,000.

During the March 30 meeting, the German Club received $420 for a cultural trip to Hermann, Mo.

During the April 6 meeting, two other organizations received funding.

The Kappa Alphas received $1,000 to go to Roanoke, Va. The trip will help the members find more ways of integrating with the community and campus.

“Anytime we do something for the community, it comes back to the campus,” said Tyler Coble, senior psychology major and KA member.

Hand-in-Hand, another psychology-oriented organization, received $750.

The Senate ended the semester with $2,140.84 left in its budget.

Adam Griffin, Senate advisor, said he appreciated the senators who worked all semester and came to every meeting.

“We do thank you,” he said. “We notice it.”

Senate will hold a picnic during its regular meeting time Wednesday and welcome the new officers to their posts.