I, with support from my fellow senators, am writing this letter in response to Emma Kindschuh’s April 18 Letter to the Editor regarding a vote held by Mercyhurst Student Government.

First and foremost, I became a senator because I care about this school and my fellow students.

I did NOT become a senator for personal gain or the hefty $100 a semester stipend I receive.

Every action that I took/take during my time as a senator has been with my peers and Mercyhurst University in mind.

The vote that was taken at our last Senate meeting had facets that Emma failed to mention.

Along with the addition of RCR members to Senate was the decreasing of class and college senators and changing the voting procedure.

As a member of the restructuring committee, I have been for integration and payment of RCR representatives from the beginning.

The RCR members are just as much members of MSG as senators and deserve to be compensated as such.

Sadly, this was an all or nothing vote.

The nine other senators and I who voted no did so for varying reasons.

Personally, I did not agree that RSCOs should have the same amount of representation as classes and colleges.

Others did not agree with changing the voting procedure, and some did not agree with decreasing senators.

Prior to the vote, the two RCR members (out of 12) who attended the meeting were given a chance to speak.

Both declined.

Following the vote, one of them threw a childish tantrum, calling all who voted against the proposal “failures to Mercyhurst.”

As someone who has given so much of my time to this school, that really bothered me.

Take a look at the names of those who voted no.

These are RAs, Honors students, athletes, talented musicians, Ambassadors, RSCO members, future teachers, scientists and government officials.

These are not “failures to Mercyhurst.”

These are people who wanted to, and still do, make a positive change at Mercyhurst.

To RCR members, we do care.

We always have cared.

You ARE part of the MSG family.

To Mercyhurst students voting in the upcoming election, I ask that you please get to know the 10 of us.

While I am not returning to MSG for various reasons, others on this list are and should not be discredited for voting in a way that they felt benefited their school.

— Meghan Maker, Junior Class Senator, with support from Mitchell Marsh, Noelle Zesky, Kimmie Kramer, Grace Simson, Brittany Warren, Katie Johnston and Hannah Gibson