The Associated Student Government discussed the open Senate leadership positions of Speaker of the Senate, Deputy Speaker of the Senate and Senate Parliamentarian at Wednesday’s meeting. The positions will be filled in the upcoming Senate elections on April 3.

ASG members currently serving in the open positions briefed Senators on the responsibilities and expectations they would assume as leaders of the Senate. Candidates will nominate themselves and advocate for their candidacy in front of the Senate on the election date. They will then leave the room so their colleagues can deliberate and vote. 

After serving as Speaker of the Senate for two years, Weinberg junior Dylan Jost announced he will not run for re-election. He said he has enjoyed leading the body and hopes his successor will be passionate about ASG.  

“The priority of the leaders of the Senate is making Senate as good, welcoming, productive and fun as possible, both for the senators and for the student body,” Jost said. “Leaders of the Senate should be compassionate, good listeners and just (want) to make Senate the best it can be.”

As Speaker, Jost facilitated ASG’s transition from virtual back to in-person meetings and oversaw the implementation of a new Senate order. He said he focused on improving communication between Senators, students and administration throughout his two terms.

Jost also said Speaker candidates should have strong communication skills and understand the ASG Senate code.

“You’re going to have to be guiding conversations and sometimes people may disagree,” Jost said. “Being able to settle (and) preside over tough situations is important.”

Jost said the ability to work with others, keep an open mind, and practice compassion and empathy are other key qualities for the position. 

The incoming Speaker of the Senate will hand-select the Deputy Speaker of the Senate, which is the only open position in the Senate leadership elections not determined by a direct vote.

In April, Deputy Speaker of the Senate and SESP junior Leah Ryzenman became the first person selected to the position. She said she is committed to helping the new Deputy Speaker learn the ropes.

“(It will be a) comprehensive transition,” Ryzenman said. “We really spent a lot of time investing in (the) Senate to try to improve it both internally and externally, and we want to maintain that stability.”

The new Senate leadership will oversee the permanent implementation of the new Senate structure the body tested in a trial-run during the last four weeks of Winter Quarter.

Senate Parliamentarian and SESP junior Dalia Segal-Miller, who designed the new Senate structure, said she hopes her successor pursues new opportunities and is not afraid to make changes to the Senate order.

“Whoever (the Senators) choose and trust to take on (my) role I also put my trust into,” Segal-Miller said. “I’m excited to see what they do with it. It might not look like what I had written down originally, but I trust that Senate will choose somebody who is the right person.”

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Twitter: @JulianAndreone

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