Kaylee Otterbacher and Hayley Kresnak, the new President and Vice President of the Student Association, are taking the university by storm with their ambitions to make the university the best it can be.

“I’ve always been taught to leave a place in a better condition than when I found it,” Otterbacher said. “My mom taught me that by forcing my brother and me to clean up trash around our campsite when we were leaving it, and though I found UW-[La Crosse] in great shape, there is always room for improvement. I’m planning to leave UW-L in a better condition than when I found it, and I think I can do that by making some […] changes.”

Some of the changes Otterbacher and Kresnak hope to make include:

Reforming dining services to best  accommodate students

Reforming the UW-L grading scale

Overseeing the process of the new Student Center

Aiding students with questions about off-campus housing

Improving the visibility of Student     Association on campus

Beyond the hopeful changes, Otterbacher has a personal interest in the cost of a college education. She served on the Segregated University Fee Allocation Committee for two years and plans to continue to attend those meetings, all while keeping an eye on statewide efforts to lower the cost of education and amount of student debt.

Otterbacher has also been a part of many other aspects of Student Association since her freshman year, including being a freshman senator, the School of Arts and Communications senator, the Chair of Student Services and Buildings Committee and the President Pro-Tempore of Student Senate.

Kresnak has seen a different part of Student Association by being a College of Liberal Studies senator, a member of the Academic Initiatives Oversight Committee, a member of the Regalia Committee, a member of the Marketing and Special Events Committee and the Chair of the Student Organizations Committee.

Through both of their varied experiences with Student Association and their current Student Senate board, they hope to have nothing less than a successful year.

Otterbacher believes strongly in her new Student Senate board, saying there are many returning faces, but many more new faces. This is due to such a competitive election back in April when the student body voted for positions in Student Association and Residence Hall Association Council (RHAC). The close competition between many of the candidates makes Otterbacher believe they will be held “accountable” for what they say, herself included.

To see Otterbacher and Kresnak in action, stop by any of the Student Senate meetings on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. in Port O’ Call, Cartwright Center.