Former Student Senate Vice President Sikander Mateen has stepped into the position of president following the resignation of junior Karla Perez.

Prior to this, sophomore Mateen was voted in as interim vice president on Oct. 5, 2023 after the resignation of former vice president Subhaj Sapkota. At the Oct. 19, 2023 general Student Senate meeting, Mateen was officially voted in as vice president.

Matten is looking forward to his term as president, saying that ever since his first year, “Senate was on the list of things I wanted to do.”

Although the position opened unexpectedly, Mateen is already planning for the upcoming terms.

In order to increase student engagement, Mateen says Senate will discuss a proposal for a mandatory Student Senate representative from every club and organization.

“Most of our cultural clubs are succeeding right now. I see a lot of people there, a lot of engagement. We can use that as our starting point,” Mateen said.

Currently, Student Senate is now working with disability services to make Carl Sandburg into a sensory room, Mateen also said.

Mateen was first elected to Student Senate during his first year, when he assumed the position of Dining Services Chair from winter to spring terms of 2023. He was then elected as Campus Life Chair during Student Senate elections in the spring of 2023.

“I want to make sure that every club and organization is a comfortable place for people,” Mateen said, voicing his concerns for the student body. “There are a lot of people who don’t go to any clubs but we want them to be included as well.”

The next Student Senate elections will take place during spring term 2024.