NC State ‘s Student Senate passed the Reapportionment Act Wednesday night, moving two seats from graduate student senators to College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Senate seats. 

Before the bill passed, graduate student senators held 10 seats, and CALS senators held four. With the new bill, graduate student senators hold eight seats, and CALS holds six. 

Every three years, Student Senate is required to reconsider the number of representatives in each college. During the Senate meeting, there was debate over the lack of graduate representation amongst senators.  

“Delegations are being gerrymandered unfairly to represent certain colleges,” said Matthew Yanik, a graduate student studying physiology and poultry science. “To keep grad seats at their current numbers, it would involve some unfortunate sacrifices somewhere else.  But, if you think students’ voices deserve to be heard equally, then we should not pass this bill.” 

Sen. Alex Yadon, a senior studying electrical engineering, expressed the lack of the graduate student senators’ abilities to fill seats. 

“We are doing a disservice to our 24,000 [undergraduate] students by having unfilled chairs,” he said. 

Currently, graduate and lifelong education senators represent 11,471 students. CALS senators represent 2,112 students. 

Many senators supported this reapportionment, claiming that graduate senators have not been able to fill all of their seats for several years.  According to Mike Giancola, assistant vice provost in Student Leadership and Engagement, graduate student senators have not had their seats filled in the 15 years he has worked with Student Government. 

CHASS Sen. Jacqueline Gonzalez, a sophomore studying political science, expressed her support for the change saying it is better to have seats filled by those who want to be a part of senate.  

“I feel like these seats are not being used, and everyone would benefit from someone who wants to be here, rather than just having the seat empty and having constantly tried to have grad students fill these seats — it is just not happening,” Gonzalez said.

Yanik countered these arguments, saying, “It’s essentially saying ‘I want it more than you. You should give it to me. I deserve it more.’  Those are the graduate Senate seats, and they are already currently underrepresented.”