September 11, 2014

Four Student Assembly Members Resigned Since Spring

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By JONATHAN SWARTZ

Since last Spring’s Student Assembly elections, four Student Assembly members have resigned — two at the end of the spring semester and two this academic year, according to Matthew Henderson ’16, vice president for internal operations for the S.A.

Henderson said the S.A. plans to hold additional elections over the next two weeks to fill the vacancies.

Noah Tulsky ’16, Zak Palomino ’16, Thaddeus Talbot ’15 and Seth Lutsic ’17 have resigned for various reasons, according to Henderson.

“I think it’s good in some ways that there are additional elections coming up over the next two weeks,” Henderson said. “Usually students who are new to Cornell are the only ones who can get involved by running in the fall elections. This is because we always elect the four freshmen Reps and the one Transfer Rep in the fall.”

Kushagra Aniket ’15, director of elections for the S.A., said he thinks it is unfortunate that some members of the S.A. had to resign, saying that some had personal commitments.

“While I would have liked them to continue serving on the S.A., I support their right to make their own individual choices,” he said.

According to Henderson, for Talbot and Lutsic’s undesignated at large seats, the runners-up in last year’s elections will fill the seats.

“The top two runner-ups from the undesignated elections were interested in taking the positions vacated by Thaddeus and Seth.”

Blake Brown ’17 and Joseph Fridman ’17 have already been sworn into their positions, according to Henderson.

For the other seats, however, the S.A. did not have candidates to replace the resigning members. Henderson said the S.A. will now run elections to fill one Arts and Sciences Representative and one LGBTQ Liaison as well, “which opens up the doors to all undergraduates,” he said.

Four Student Assembly members have left their posts since elections last spring. Jennie Li / Sun Contributor