Historically, Hooper Auditorium is filled with well-dressed, policy-minded students every Tuesday evening for debate and discussion about the legislation of MSMS. On the evening of August 25, however, MSMS students crowded in their respective hall lobbies, clad in everything from pajamas to business casual, to elect the 2015-2016 MSMS Senate.

Senators at MSMS are equivalent to the Congress of the United States and are composed of two junior and two senior students from each floor of the MSMS residential halls. The 28 senators introduce new rules, amend existing handbook guidelines, and debate the merit of existing rules during their one-hour sessions.

To win the position, students gave speeches to their assembled peers. Most senatorial candidates cited their common traits of “accessibility and problem-solving” and shared interest in how “every voice is important and needs to be heard” in their written and impromptu campaign speeches.  

“It was a last minute thing. I asked Vasu (a senior senate candidate) about it and wanted to try it out, so I got the signatures,” Vivian Van, a new junior senator.

Due to a limited number of candidates, voting was not required for all elections; rather, the two candidates for junior or senior representation were de facto winners. Some senator-elects only began their campaign during the hall meetings because there were not enough students to fill the positions for candidacy.

The newly-elected senators will begin their duties on September 1.  As representatives of their peers, the senators will be responsible for listening to the ideas and criticisms of other students and formulating new legislation or amendments for the handbook.

“I heard that you get to represent your hall, and I felt it would be good to have a voice even though I just got here,” Van said. Still apprehensive about her new position, Van said she might be interested in writing a new bill about “lights out and organization of the school.”

Some senior senators are also new to the weekly world of senate meetings and school legislation but are still interested in becoming a more prominent figure in student government.

“I looked at our floor and I wanted to make improvements around the school,” Dilraj Sidhu said, expressing the shared opinion about bettering school life. “Last year I was busy, but this year as a senior I feel more responsibility for this school. The way I feel I can help out is by being in Senate.”

To brainstorm ideas for their own bills, form educated opinions about current standing rules, and phrase amendments to more debated guidelines, the MSMS senators will look to their peers for insight. As the legislative representatives of the student body in the complex system of MSMS checks and balances, senators formulate the opinions and ideas of their fellow students into grounded bills that will police MSMS students today and in the future.