This week marks the beginning of student senate proposal week, where students have the opportunity to propose their ideas to student senate. Student life gives senate a budget of $10,000 to make some students’ ideas a reality.

Students can offer their ideas online at the student senate website. After students propose their ideas, senate then decides which ideas could be most beneficial for the campus.

“My advice to all students is to propose any of your ideas,” stated sophomore student senator Laura Steele. “We can refine any idea and make it beneficial for the student body.”

“Don’t think anything is too off the radar,” added Griffin Brent, student senate party coordinator and head of senate proposal week. “Calvin College used to have mandatory chapel, and that was changed through student senate. Really, anything you think of may come to fruition.”

Brent pointed out that many ideas submitted to student senate do not need to cost money. If the $10,000 is left partially unused, it will either be allocated into next year’s fund or used for smaller projects around campus. For example, the picnic tables installed in front of Hekman Library last year were a result of a student’s idea and leftover money from senate proposal week.

“Students’ ideas can change things like simply putting a microwave in the library,” Brent stated. “Or it can lead to larger things like re-doing an entire hallway in Johnny’s.”

Renovating the Johnny’s hallway was senate’s main project last year. A student proposed the idea to completely redo the hallway right outside of Johnny’s. Before, the space was left unused and abandoned. Now it is a lively place with bar seating where students can interact with each other or do homework.

Proposal week allows students to decide senate’s course for the school year. It gives them a job to work on and allows the student body to play a large role in senate’s planning.

“My current project that I am working on is proposal week,” said Brent. “When this is over next week I will have a new project based on a student proposal, and it’s my job to make it happen.”

“I would really encourage students to take advantage of this opportunity,” added Brent. “Think outside the box.”

Freshman Becca Bosch is no stranger to being involved at Calvin. As part of her dorm’s social events team, Bosch finds it important for students to get involved when opportunities arise.

Bosch sees proposal week as a “great way to draw attention to the fact that students who are not part of student senate can still make a difference at Calvin College.”

“There’s bound to be a few bad ideas,” she added. “But I think it’s still worth getting involved in because there are also bound to be a few good ideas that can be beneficial.”

Students can submit their ideas by going to www.calvinsenate.com, clicking the proposal tab and filling out the form.