Student Senate prioritizes outdoor events, wellness

Upbeat music. Barbeque. Ice cream in the warm months. Chili and hot cider in the winter.

And students enjoying the time together.

They’re all part of weekly social events in the Green Space Series, held on the Ruth and Bill Scott Student Plaza and sponsored by the UNMC Student Senate. The series, which launched in fall 2021, is one of several Student Senate initiatives that have taken off in the 2021-2022 academic year.

With UNMC’s continued caution on gatherings indoors and with food, the Student Senate turned its attention outside for its events.

“The pandemic has been a difficult time for students, but our UNMC student senators across all five campuses have banded together in the hopes of making this year a memorable one, for all the right reasons,” said Taylor Kratochvil, UNMC’s student body president and student regent. 

This year’s Student Senate has focused on promoting events and projects in three areas: programming, wellness and transparency. 

See the UNMC Student Senate’s Fall 2021 Report.

Key initiatives in the fall semester included the weekly Green Space Series events with free food and activities for students, events on the Lincoln and Kearney campuses, an opt-out counseling program piloted in the College of Pharmacy and a student town hall with Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD.

The goal of these activities is to build community, support students’ mental health during a stressful time and improve student awareness of the Student Senate’s role at UNMC.

"With students returning to campus in the fall after last year’s disruptions, we were eager to build a culture of wellness and create new traditions while being mindful of the ongoing pandemic,” Kratochvil said. “Like UNMC, the Student Senate and its footprint have grown a great deal over the past few years. I am excited to see the senate’s initiatives continue to grow for years to come.”

Partners with this year’s Student Senate include the Office of the Chancellor, Nebraska Medicine and several UNMC departments, including the Student Life Inclusion and Diversity Office and Counseling and Psychological Services.