The Student Government Senate elected a new speaker and speaker pro-tempore for the 2005-06 legislative session late Wednesday night.
Newly elected Senate leaders are Speaker Bo Staples, an arts and sciences senator, and Speaker Pro-Tempore Ben Anderson, a business administration senator.
Staples, who has been a senator for three years, ran against three other senators — arts and sciences Sens. Eric Melancon and Evan Bergeron and agricultural Sen. CC Dubois.
The speaker pro-tempore’s position was even more competitive. Six senators, including Anderson, were nominated for the chance to co-lead the Senate.
Patrick Virgadamo, a graduate school senator, Michelle Anderson, a business administration senator, Lindsey Landry, a University Center for Freshman Year senator, and arts and sciences Sens. Chris Odinet, Melancon and Bergeron all lost to Anderson for the position.
Former Speaker of the Senate Brandon Smith said he was glad to see the large number of senators who wanted to lead the body. He said it was a tribute to his administration’s work.
Staples told the Senate he plans to make fundamental changes through his position.
He said his goal is to make the Senate more efficient. He said the Senate wastes too much time at its meetings.
Staples also said he wants to encourage better communication between the Senate, students and faculty.
By sending press releases to various newspapers, like The Daily Reveille and The Advocate, Staples said he wants more students to know what the Senate does and can do for them.
Anderson could not be reached by press time.
Smith said he is confident in the new Senate leadership.
“I know they will do a good job,” Smith said.
In other Senate elections Wednesday night, political science major Luke White was elected secretary, and arts and sciences major Jarel Francis was elected legislative assistant.
The Senate also approved all presidential appointments to the executive staff and executive orders for appointments to committees, like the Election Code Revision and Technology Fee Oversight committees.
The Daily Reveille Editor-in-Chief Scott Sternberg, Executive Secretary Crawford Leavoy and business administration Sen. Michelle Anderson were appointed to the Election Code Revision Committee, which will oversee SG election-code changes.
Heath Hattaway, an arts and sciences junior, Spencer Sissell, an accounting senior, Josh King and Pete Mistretta, electrical engineering sophomores, and Will Hennegan, a computer science senior, were appointed to the Technology Fee Oversight Committee, which oversees the student technology fee and its spending.