An amendment to a bill requiring freshman delegates to complete two outreach hours each month was approved during an ASWSU meeting Wednesday.

Written by freshman delegate Blake Gurney, the purpose of this amendment is to provide more opportunities for delegates to connect to their constituents.

“We want to represent our constituents the best that we can and we have to get their opinion to be able to do that,” Gurney said.

Gurney said he was surprised to find that the bill was not already included in the job description.

Through this amendment, Gurney said that freshman delegates would be held accountable for not interacting with the students they represent.

“I think it’s so valuable to be able to go out and talk to other people,” Gurney said.

Hayden Arend, a delegate from the Honors College, wanted the amendment to be extended beyond the freshman delegates.

“I think the intent behind this bill is fine and all,” Arend said, “but I think that it should apply to all the delegate positions or none of them.”

He also said that the requirement should not be necessary for freshman delegates since they are non-paid positions.

Both Sen. Harald Hyllseth from the College of Communication and All Campus Sen. James Dalton co-sponsored the bill.

Hyllseth said that the bill would help freshman delegates get out of their comfort zones and adapt to a new campus environment and culture.

“An extra push forward for freshman would have been very helpful when I was in that position,” Hyllseth said. “Let them grow into their position – make it their own.”