The empty ASUA Senate seat will soon be empty no more.

The Associated Students of the University of Arizona will vote today whether or not to approve a nominee to replace the senate seat left vacant by the protest resignation of James Pennington-McQueen following the ASUA general elections.

ASUA President Tommy Bruce selected the nominee earlier this week from a pool of nominations sent to him late last week from UA students via e-mail, Bruce said.

“”A lot of nominations came in from a wide spectrum of people,”” he said. “”I’m thrilled that so many people are interested.””

Between 10 and 15 students were nominated, with potential candidates ranging from ASUA members to students within the general UA student population. Bruce could neither confirm nor deny the existence of ASUA senator-elects on the nomination list.

The name of the selected nominee is also being kept secret and will be revealed during the approval vote at the ASUA meeting today. A three-quarters vote is needed to approve the nominee, meaning seven votes are needed from the current nine senators, Bruce said.

The new senator’s term will begin with just five weeks left in the current senate’s duties. While managing such a short term may seem challenging, it may actually be beneficial to the senate, as the new senator will help end the school year on a strong note for the organization, Bruce said.

“”I think (the new senator) will be strong throughout the entire term,”” he said. “”This should bring a vibrant feeling around the senate as a whole.””

Much like the enthusiasm present during the ASUA elections, students are curious about the identity of the mystery nominee to fill the vacant senate seat, as the students have their own ideas as to how the new senator should behave.

Assistance in funding for campus clubs should be a top priority for the new senator, as many important clubs are forced to raise the bulk of their own money, said Stuart Hamblin, a mechanical engineering sophomore and member of Camp Wildcat, a club aimed toward creating camping opportunities for children in the Tucson area.

“”Camp Wildcat has to do most of its own fundraising, and there are a lot of clubs out there like that,”” he said. “”I’d like to see something done about that.””

A senator from outside the student government system is needed in order to reconnect with students and get the UA population interested in ASUA, said Chris Schrecker, a mechanical engineering freshman.

“”I really don’t hear a lot about ASUA,”” he said. “”I think a lot of people don’t.””

In order to get students more involved in the student government process, the new senator should be willing to visit individual colleges to show that he or she is serious about solving the problems that students care about, said Jay Stanley, an American Indian studies junior.

“”If they’re more personable, I think they’ll see better results. They need to go to the people instead of the people having to go to them,”” she said. “”I know it’s a big campus, but it’s doable.””