During the hour meeting, Student Government Association senators listened to words of encouragement from former SGA President Matthew Wininger and passed legislation allocating funds to continue the voucher programs.

Matthew Wininger, former Student Body president of Western Kentucky University, opened the 17th Meeting of the 22nd Senate by stating his college experience, from rushing for Phi Gamma Delta Sophomore Year to being involved in SGA.

“I think SGA was a really special experience for me because it allowed me to learn how to communicate and also to work with people,” Wininger said. “Really one of the big things I did while in SGA is just collaborate across the university. It’s forged friendships.”

During his speech, he said how he “wanted to enrich the lives of those who [SGA] served” and “create things that future administrations can use later on.” Wininger now works as a professional staffer in Washington, D.C.

Two bills were passed to increase student accessibility to university services from replacing ID cards to dental examinations.

The Student Senate passed the 28-23-S Bill, which would aid the WKU Dental Health Clinic for free teeth cleanings for students, rather than being paid for by dental students.

Chief of Staff Lauren Willett said this bill will help both the students needing the cleaning and the dental students complete their classes.

Originally the $500 was going to come from the Legislative Discretionary Fund, but Student Experience and Enrollment Committee Chair Adan Canizalez amended the legislation to draw from the scholarship program fund.

The vouchers are $25 and can be used for “cleanings, fluoride treatments, X-rays, sealants, specialty referrals” and more. Willett, who is listed as an author of the bill, said they saw a 660% increase in use in the fall semester.

The Senate also voted on bill 27-23-S which will allocate $2,000 between the ID center, the Preston Center and the dental hygiene clinic. The vouchers will be split 60/30/10; a 50% discount at the Preston Center, a 50% discount when receiving a new ID, and a $25 voucher for services at the Dental Hygiene Clinic.

Both bills passed unanimously.

The last bill presented at the meeting involved funding for the SGA and Talisman’s Poetry Mic Night. The bill allocated $260 for prizes, coffee and donuts. This was authored by Pierce and Canizalez, and sponsored by the Enrollment and Student Experience Committee. The event will take place on Feb. 22.

Senator Ethan Huffaker spoke against this bill citing concerns over the budget and superfluous spending. Administrative Vice President Sam Kurtz said this was the “perfect bill” that brought students together and increased participation in the WKU community.

The bill was voted on via roll call vote, the bill passed with Huffaker as the only nay vote.

Speaker of the Senate, Julie Mishchuk announced the Debate Teams victory over St. Louis’s Debate Team.

“We just demolished the whole thing!” Mishchuk said.

Administration Reporter Michael Crimmins contributed to this reporting

Reporter Matthew Fulkerson can be reached at [email protected]