This spring marks the start of a new, fresh set of faces in the Undergraduate Senate. Despite the varying backgrounds of many of the new senators, their campaign goals shared many common threads. It is these common goals that the Senate should begin with this quarter.

Old Union reform topped many of the campaign promises over the last few weeks. Candidates have differing ideas on how to transform the student union, but many of these reforms are aimed at taking back the Union for students. A few candidates have discussed a better reservation system. Particularly, an online reservation system would allow students to track and reserve study and group spaces more easily. While Old Union has become a space on campus where student groups and study groups can meet, work and practice, promised equipment and plans to make the Union more focused on individual hang-out space have not materialized.

Another major campaign theme for the new senators was reducing voluntary student organizations’ (VSO) costs. Many students feel that the cost of running a student group on campus overwhelms the good work the group can do. Some senators wanted to address this problem by increasing communication with the Office of Student Affairs (OSA). Others thought that a taskforce should be created to look into why costs are so high. Some thought that a more transparent and reformed OSA could solve many of the VSO’s cost problems.

Calls for diversity at the graduate student and faculty level were similarly reiterated throughout many senators’ campaigns. A few want to build on the efforts of the “Call to Action” Committee established during diversity week this year. One senator has even written a plan to tackle diversity at these levels. For some new senators, the focus of diversity extends to more awareness of events that shatter our comfort with diversity: Acts of Intolerance. Ideas range from better publicity surrounding Acts of Intolerance to Act of Intolerance programming during New Student Orientation.

A final common theme throughout the new senators’ campaigns was a focus on improving the mental and physical health resources on campus. One new senator suggests expanding the Peer Health Educator (PHE) program while another senator would like more Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) sessions per student. Other senators are concerned about birth control subsidies at Stanford now that Vaden’s supplies are beginning to run out, and one individual wants to increase the confidential sexual health resources at Stanford.

A host of new senators also want to continue the previous advocacy work in gender-neutral housing and international need-blind admissions. There have also been some new and exciting ideas infused into the Senate, such as creating a late-night weekend transportation shuttle to San Francisco, extending 5-SURE hours and holding a campus-wide tailgate. Although some of these ideas might not be feasible, they are great starting points for thinking outside the box about ways to improve campus life.

This new Senate has many common ideas about improvements necessary in Stanford life. The incoming senators should look beyond their differing ideas on how to accomplish these goals and focus on what really matters: their constituency’s needs.

All the issues raised in this article can found in the undergraduate senate handbook at elections.stanford.edu.