By SARA GIBONEY
UNK Communications

KEARNEY – Austin Partridge and Ivy Prater are the new student body president and vice president, respectively, at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

They were elected Thursday following two days of campus voting this week and will be inaugurated April 4.

As student body president, Partridge, a junior business administration major from Grand Island, will serve as the official student body representative to the University of Nebraska administration and public. The president has the power to pass or veto legislation passed by the Student Senate.

Partridge’s student involvement includes serving as a Chancellor’s Ambassador, senator for the College of Business and Technology and resident assistant. He’s also been a part of the Honor’s Program, Sigma Phi Epsilon and Order of the Omega. His community involvement includes volunteering for TOP Soccer, Buddy Bowling and Arc of Buffalo County.

“I decided to get involved with Student Government last year as a senator because I saw it as an opportunity to get involved and truly make a difference on campus,” Partridge said. “As time passed during my term as senator, the Student Body President position really stood out to me as a great opportunity to progress into a much larger role to better represent and serve UNK.”

Prater is a junior organizational communication major.

Her student involvement includes serving as Student Diplomat and resident assistant, and being a part of Alpha Phi, Lambda Pi Eta, Phi Eta Sigma, Order of the Omega and Gold Torch Society. Her community involvement includes volunteering with Goodwill Industries, Peterson Senior Activity Center, the Big Event and Kearney Area Friends Program.

“I truly enjoy UNK and would love to make a positive difference for students, and I feel Student Government will allow for just that,” Prater said. “I share a passion for the political process and want students to be able to find their voice here at UNK.”

Partridge and Prater identified the following issues they plan to address as leaders of Student Government:

• Continue work to improve the library through renovations.
• Alter the new meal plan to address students’ concerns and improve the dining committee in Louie’s and the Marketplace @27th.
• Ensure Nebraskan Student Union renovations are complete.
• Increase budget advocacy efforts.
• Advocate for campus beautification efforts, including a blend of parking and green space in the current location of Otto Olsen.
• Continue work by former Student Government leaders Rachel Flaugh and Paige Kordonowy to promote a policy that would prevent professors from presenting new information or having exams during dead week. Dead week would be strictly limited to review sessions

In addition to Partridge and Prater, 13 students were elected to UNK Student Senate. The organization is the legislature for the student body, and students are elected from each of the UNK academic colleges.

Student Senate has the power to pass legislation for the campus, approve new student organizations, appoint student representatives to UNK Faculty Senate and other administrative committees, and perform other duties concerning student issues of concern.