UA elects new chair chairperson, leadership

The Undergraduate Assembly elected its new steering committee yesterday, uncharacteristically placing underclassmen in every position. In an equally rare move, the outgoing chairperson blasted the new leadership. College sophomore Mitch Winston was elected chairperson of the UA. Wharton freshman Ethan Youderian was elected the assembly's vice-chair, College sophomore Jeff Lichtman was tapped as treasurer and Wharton freshman Beth Azia was named secretary. The two nominees for the UA's representative to the University Council steering committee are College sophomores Allison Bieber and You-Lee Kim. While outgoing leaders typically praise their successors, former Chairperson Duchess Harris' response was uncommonly non-congratulatory. "Once again, a fraternal organization has succeeded in placing inadequate, unqualified leadership in student government," she said. "The UA met its downfall at 2 p.m. yesterday afternoon." Winston is a member of the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity, as are three other members of the body. Treasurer Lichtman is a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. Harris last year fought a bitter battle against College senior and Phi Gamma Delta brother Hunter Heaney for the chair of the UA. Following his loss in last year's race, Heaney resigned from the body. Harris' predecessor, Benjy Karsch, also had to defeat a large fraternity bloc to win his seat on the body. Harris said the new board may have problems due to their lack of experience on the assembly. "They just might have a difficult time interacting with other student leaders," she said. Winston said last night he was "mortified" with Harris' criticism and denied that his fraternity membership would affect his command. "For her to turn around and backstab the organization, I'm really upset," he said. "I would think that she would have a little faith in the organization that she has left behind." But Winston said the advantages from having "new blood" leading the UA would outweigh the negatives. "We have young, new people," he said. "We're going to be excited with the whole thing." Youderian defended Winston and called Harris' attack, "immature." "I think Mitch has the potential for being a decent chair," he said yesterday. "I don't think it's fair to totally discount someone's work before they have the chance to prove themselves." After heading the UA's efforts this year to lower tuition increases, Winston won the seat after nearly an hour of questioning by his fellow representatives and three secret ballots. A candidate needed 13 votes, a majority of the assembly, to win any of the offices. During the questioning, Winston told UA reps that undergraduates at the University care about "eating, sleeping, going out at night, and not getting killed." "The UA has gotten in over its head," he told them, by pursuing issues about which the students do not care. "We need issues that excite members and students." Promising to "command the respect and support of the student body at the University," Winston said student apathy is the biggest issue facing student government. "In a student body filled with apathy, perception is sometimes more important than reality," he said.

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