The Associated Student Government (ASG) elected new student senate leadership Tuesday night following a multi-candidate race that emphasized empowerment, order and representation within the senate body.
Senator Quin Ahler was elected out of four tickets as speaker of the student senate, while Senator Japveer Singh was selected, uncontested, as secretary of the Treasury and Kathryn Kleeberger was re-elected as secretary of the Communications and Outreach Committee.
The race for senate speaker featured three other candidates — Senators Charles Amara and Nick McClure, and Pro Tempore Aiden Bryant — with discussion frequently returning to how the speaker can balance parliamentary procedure while creating an accessible and welcoming environment.
Ahler emphasized the role of senate speaker as a facilitator of culture and engagement, aiming to empower senators to use their voices and contribute to the body’s diverse perspectives.
“I’m not here to push my own agenda at all,” Ahler said. “I’m here to empower [the senate body].”
In his remarks, Ahler invoked Miami’s founding principles, quoting the university’s first president Robert Bishop on the importance of developing “self-government” within a “free community.” Looking ahead, he said he hopes to prioritize recruitment to build a full senate reflecting a range of student perspectives and organizations.
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Current speaker of the senate and newly-elected Vice President Susanne Morrissey said Ahler’s welcoming energy and people-focused leadership style will position him well in the role.
“[Ahler] is really great about seeing where the senators are, reading the room and just engaging with them in the ways that they need to be,” Morrissey said.
Senator Singh, who ran uncontested, outlined his priorities as secretary of the treasury, emphasizing speed, clarity and equity in ASG’s funding process, as well as creating an end-of-semester analytics report to track senate outcomes.
Singh said he hopes to improve the efficiency and accessibility of funding for student organizations.
“Communication is key to anything you do,” he said.
Secretary Kleeberger was re-elected, uncontested, as secretary of communications and outreach. During her previous term, she expanded ASG’s digital presence, increasing website views by 233% and launching new LinkedIn and TikTok accounts.
Looking ahead, Kleeberger said she hopes to continue strengthening outreach efforts, with plans to use ASG’s Facebook and YouTube accounts to further broaden engagement.
“With consistency and dedication, we can reach more students and hear more voices,” Kleeberger said.
Beyond leadership elections, ASG passed several pieces of legislation addressing student concerns.
A resolution requiring professors to consistently use and update Canvas gradebooks passed with strong support in a 33-1-1 vote. Senator McClure proposed the resolution to improve transparency for students monitoring their academic performance throughout the semester. Multiple senators said some professors do not consistently use Canvas, leading to confusion when tracking grades.
ASG also passed a resolution supporting the use of MUlaa, Miami’s on-campus spending account, for dining hall purchases. MUlaa can currently only be used for select on-campus expenses, including printing, box office tickets and residence-hall laundry machines.
The measure, proposed by Senators Zoe Erickson and Catherine Conner, drew strong support, with members noting MUlaa funds are nontransferable and often go unused. They also pointed to peer institutions where similar accounts can be used for dining expenses.
“[Miami] made me put a lot of money on my MUlaa that I don’t actually use,” Erickson said. “I would really like to use that for dining.”
Senators raised questions about implementation and whether funds would carry over between semesters. The resolution passed 31-0-1.
Additional announcements were also discussed. Vice President Kirsten Osteboe and Senator Tyreke Farquharson reminded the senate of Philanthropy Fest, set for April 24 from 2-4 p.m. in Uptown Park. The event will allow student organizations to fundraise and will include food trucks, a bounce house and opportunities to earn service hours.
They also noted National Volunteer Week will take place April 19-25, featuring a range of service opportunities.
Additional senate leadership elections are expected to take place next week, as ASG continues to finalize positions for the upcoming term.
ASG will meet again at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 24 in the Joslin Senate Chambers.
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