Student Association Vice President Lyle Selsky resigned on Wednesday, Jan. 22, making him the second person from the original executive board elected last March to leave office.
On Jan. 23, SA President Sam McMahon named Office Manager Judy Mai interim vice president until the SA Senate votes on official approval Feb. 2. If approved, Mai will be the fifth member the SA e-board has had in the past five months.
Selsky emailed a statement to The Spectrum.
"It is with great difficulty but with necessity that I inform you that I am resigning as Vice President of the Student Association," he said. "Over the past several months a lot of hardship has befallen upon my family. To continue being Vice President would do the student body a disservice when I know I will not be able to give 110%, which is what you the students expect of your government."
McMahon and SA Treasurer Siddhant Chhabria said the resignation was not office related.
Selsky is the second member of the Spirit Party, which swept the SA elections last March, to leave office during the 2013-14 term. On Sept. 18, Nick Johns, also of the Spirit Party, resigned from his position as SA president after members of his staff had accused him of a litany of offenses, which included harassment, inappropriately accepting gifts and mishandling funds.
Chhabria is the only original executive remaining in office. After Spirit swept the election, the treasurer-elect was elated - stating that he felt it was going to be "much more effective working with people [he] started out with."
Now, he feels things have changed.
"It crumbled," Chhabria said of his ticket. "I am not going to deny it at all."
Although the e-board this semester looks different from the one in September, McMahon said the changes in personnel haven't altered the work and efficiency of SA.
"To some extent it shows that the process works," McMahon said. "The way SA is configured, it is meant to be an adaptable organization."
McMahon explained that if an officer is unable to perform his or her duties, that person is able to step down, and the organization also has the abilities to step in if an officer misbehaves.
"I don't think it is a negative mark on the organization," he said. "I think it is a positive thing that we are able to change and adapt."
Chhabria echoed the sentiment.
"There were cracks in [SA], but the structure never fell," Chhabria said. "We still have a really good foundation."
One of Chhabria's talking points during his campaign was restoring faith in SA. He said it remains a top priority for him.
McMahon and Chhabria said they were sorry to see a close friend resign, but they are confident in the new administration.
Mai, a senior health and human services major, has worked in SA over the past four years. She has been an SA office manager, senior office manager and clubs services director. She ran for president in 2012.
Her experience and relationship with the e-board made her appointment a "no-brainer," according to McMahon. He said the transition has been seamless, considering her strong rapport with clubs.
"I've been here," Mai said. "I am a senior, graduating with my requirements done, so I have a lot of time to dedicate to the job."
Mai said the fact that there have been two e-board resignations this academic year "probably doesn't look good," but she noted Selsky's resignation wasn't due to wrongdoing but to a personal issue.
In his statement, Selsky said he plans to stay involved with SA and intends to help the new vice president acclimate to the position.
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Photo: Breadchastick / Wikimedia Commons
