ASWSU Senators confirmed five new members during their Wednesday night meeting. 

Each candidate explained why they wanted the role and how they were going to make a difference this semester.

Business management student Cooper Howe said he aims to earn the ASWSU Instagram and Facebook verification status through his role as director of communication. He created a strategy to increase the Instagram following from 2,822 followers to 10,000 followers. 

Howe said he plans to filter potential posts by asking the following questions: Will people comment on this post? Will people save this post? Will people click on the link in the bio because of this post?

Ashtyn Gates, WSU public relations and multimedia journalism student, said she wants to raise awareness about ASWSU and why it exists. Second, she wants to boost engagement through likes, comments and subscriptions. The third step is to create a safe and open community. 

Not all students know there is an online community they can be a part of, Gates said.

Ben Sherry, WSU psychology and Spanish student on the pre-med track, said he aims to create intentional relationships with those who are in minority groups or are disadvantaged through his role as the director of university affairs. 

“Student interaction is what makes people feel like they want to be here and not that they have to be here,” Sherry said. 

Sherry said he plans to reach students who are not already involved with ASWSU through social media, relationships he will make on executive staff and the resources provided by executive staff.

Business management student Jessica Sheets plans to host discussion events as the director of diversity, equity and inclusion. She said these events are an opportunity for students to come and share how they feel in a nonjudgmental space.

The discussion events would take place through movie or book nights. Sheets also put forward the idea of having women professors and anthropology professors talk to students.

Sheets said she would reach multicultural students through engagement, social media and tabling events. 

Senators also confirmed finance major Maccabee Werndorf as the Carson College of Business senator. Werndorf said he wants to tackle the issues of out-of-state students in his role. Werndorf is an out-of-state student from Los Angeles. 

Werndorf shared how his non-Washington insurance is not accepted in Pullman, requiring him to pay the full price for prescriptions or order them through the mail. To change this, Werndorf said he plans to raise awareness so students can be proactive about their health care.

Inside the Carson College of Business, Werndorf said he wants to ensure free printing for all the business students, which they are told is an amenity they receive. Last semester, the free printer for business students was broken and it has not yet been fixed.

In addition to these candidates being confirmed, the Student Veterans Committee chair Aurelia Cromwell called out the senate, asking them to ensure committee chairs abide by the bylaws. 

The ASWSU bylaws state ASWSU Global Executive Board members must attend at least two ASWUG meetings per month, according to the ASWSUG bylaws website. 

The Student Veterans Committee is planning an event for military-affiliated individuals for the spring. In the fall, the committee hosted a Veterans Day event, which they aim to give over to the WSU administration and ASWSU in the future.