Student Association senators discuss how their involvement has readied them for their positions, as well as what improvements and issues they will focus on this semester.

District 4 is composed of students residing outside of the DeKalb city limits.

Senator Brandon Phillips

Senior political science and history major

Experience: Senator since fall 2012

What is an issue you’d like to address this semester?

“I have two: general education implementation and MAP grant stability. As chair of [the Committee on University Services Oversight], I’d like both students get a high quality education at NIU [and] I also want them to be able to afford it. The budget has put a time block on both of those things happening, so that grant is the priority there because I would like the students to be able to afford to get the best education especially through gen eds.”

How has your involvement better prepared you to serve on the SA Senate?

“I go back all the way to Austin Quick’s [former Student Association Senate Speaker] time frame. I started in 2012. I’ve learned what to do, what not to do and my depth within individual organizations. It has given me the perspective of professors and administrators to bring to the Student Association.”

Senator Zubeda Vaid

Junior electrical engineering major

Experience: Senator since fall 2015

What is an issue you’d like to address this semester?

“I would like to increase awareness about some of the services … especially for commuters. I know that there’s a commuter lounge, but a lot of commuters don’t know about its existence.”

How has your involvement better prepared you to serve on the SA Senate?

“I’m pretty heavily involved on campus. I’m involved in tutoring every Wednesday at the [Jerry L. Johns Literacy Clinic]. I’m a part of the social media committee with TEDxNIU. I’m a member of Society of Women Engineers, full-time Student Association and chemistry club. I feel being involved in these organizations has really increased my communication skills and helped me work effectively in a team. This will help me in working with my fellow senators and the executive branch. It will help me work as a team.”

Senator Afreen Warsi

Junior biology major

Experience: Senator since fall 2012

What is an issue you’d like to address this semester?

“An issue I would like to address this semester is bringing awareness of the [SA Senate] to students, specifically commuting students. I know that may seem a little redundant, but during my freshman year, I found out about the Student Association out of pure luck. Ever since I found out about it, I have done my best to relay meaningful messages to students who are unaware of what is going on around campus. Many commuting students commute from distances of 45 minutes or more and hold one or more jobs. Between classes, work and commuting, it is often difficult for students to get involved on campus and find out about particular events going on campus that directly affect them. For example, we will be having a rally on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. in the MLK Commons. This rally is because there is a proposal to cut funding at universities by 32 percent which equals $29.4 million at NIU. Roughly about 5,700 NIU students, if not more, will be losing their MAP grant funding, which may result in many students not being able to return to NIU next semester. Many of these students may very well be commuters who are completely unaware that their MAP grant funding is going to be cut. I have done my best to talk to various students in the different organizations that I am a part of to let them know about what the SA Senate is doing and what they can do to help as commuters make up more than 50 percent of campus.”

How has your involvement better prepared you to serve on the SA Senate?

“I have been involved in various different organizations on campus, and I also hold an internship with Career Services. Working with Career Services, I have a direct contact to students that come in for assistance and am able to comfortably speak with them on issues that the SA Senate is working on. Through my internship, I have had to give many presentations to various classes and organizations. This helped me in both my public speaking and familiarity with different areas on campus. With these skills, I can go back to those organizations and act as a liaison between them and Senate to make sure they are aware of different events and issues facing campus and get their input as well.”