DeKALB — Ben Hickey, a sophomore engineering major, was appointed and sworn in as a new senator for the Student Government Association Senate at Sunday’s meeting.

Hickey discussed his goals and qualifications in a speech, which was followed by a Q&A between senators and himself, then a discussion among  senators without Hickey present, followed by the vote from the senate members on whether or not to appoint Hickey. 

“I decided to run for senator for SGA because I feel that I had the capacity to help make NIU a better experience for students,”  Hickey said. “My main goals are to join the finance and environmental committees, where I can help make the campus cleaner.” 

In his speech, Hickey also discussed his experience as a youth minister and his work experience in pest control, food and tutoring. 

The vote to appoint Hickey had 13 in favor, 1 opposed and 2 voting for an extension.

There was also a resolution to appoint Roderic Moyer as a senator, but it was tabled for the Oct. 10 meeting because he was not in attendance.

The Public Affairs Committee met for the first time at 4 p.m. on Friday to start to determine their goals as a committee. Fridays at 4 p.m. is set as a tentative meeting time for the committee. 

The Underserved Student Communities Committee also met for the first time at 1 p.m. on Sunday to discuss their goals as a committee. They outlined their primary goal—getting menstrual products in all NIU bathrooms—briefly. Going forward, the USO committee will meet at 4 p.m. on Sundays.

The Organization Oversight Committee also met for the first time to discuss the creation and approval of the NIU weightlifting club.

The SGA Town Hall meeting will occur on Oct. 20, though an exact time and place have not yet been set.