SPEC to hold elections for exec board tonight

All SPEC executive board positions will be filled for the first time in the committee's three-year history after tonight's elections, Social Planning and Events Committee Chairperson Anne Todd said yesterday. And none of the races for the five positions will be contested. After two candidates left the race, Jennifer Raymond, this year's Homecoming Committee chairperson, is running unopposed for chairperson, in the first uncontested election for chairperson in SPEC history. The rest of the students running for the executive board -- which Todd sees as a "great board" of "diverse" students -- will be Executive Vice President Piyush Tantia, Membership Vice President Gabriella Davi, Secretary Jenny Ho and Treasurer Morris Massel. In the race for chairperson, Undergraduate Assembly Liasion to SPEC Ethan Youderian submitted a letter of intent, but, soon after, withdrew it. And College senior Joshua Perelman, last year's Spring Fling tri-chairperson, also submitted a letter of intent last week but has been deemed an "unfit candidate" by the SPEC executive board and is ineligible to run, Todd said last night. Since Perelman is graduating in May, he would be unable to fulfill his term as chairperson, said Todd, a College senior. Todd said that the SPEC constitution allows the executive board the flexibility to interpret the document, and under her direction, SPEC has disallowed Perelman's candidacy. "This is in the best interest of SPEC," Todd said. "[He is taking a] very self-righteous position, [and] I don't know what his motivations are." Todd said that, even though the constitution does not say that SPEC chairperson involves a one-year term, it was interpreted to be so in a resolution passed by the SPEC exec board last week. Todd said that when she told Perelman about SPEC's decision, he was "very defensive [and] is taking it as a personal attack." Regardless, Todd said, "He is not a candidate." Perelman refused to comment last night. Tonight's election will be held at 7 p.m. in Houston Hall's Bowl Room. Todd said nominations will be accepted on the floor at the meeting, and any student who served on a SPEC committee is eligible to run for an office.