Tal Golomb elected new UA chair

Golomb defeated opponentGolomb defeated opponentSchorr by only one vote and Shannon Burke The Undergraduate Assembly elected College sophomore Tal Golomb as its new chairperson last night in a very tight race. After a tied first vote, Golomb won the final election by one vote over College sophomore Steve Schorr. College sophomore Sean Steinmarc abstained in the first vote, causing the tie. Steinmarc cast his vote for Golomb in the second round. And only 23 of the 24 UA members were present for the vote. Wharton senior Gil Beverly dropped out of the race for UA chairperson by default when he failed to show up for elections. Outgoing UA Chairperson Lance Rogers, a College senior, described the job of chairperson as one that "is held responsible for everything that goes wrong and given credit for nothing that goes right." College sophomore Larry Kamin won the election for UA vice chairperson over College freshman Samara Barend. College freshmen Courtney Fine and Marc Sagat also ran for the position of vice chairperson, but were eliminated in run-offs -- which were necessary because all positions require a vote of more than 50 percent of the body. In their speeches, the candidates emphasized developing programs involving a variety of student groups and improving communication with the administration and students. Golomb pointed to his experience as the UA representative to University Council's Steering Committee as evidence of his ability to work with both the administration and various student groups. He cited last Saturday's UA cleanup, which brought together several student organizations and which he helped to plan, as a prototype for future UA events. In his speech, Golomb compared past UAs to a rusty, broken-down car. "The UA might have been repaired this year and fitted with new engine, but it also needs a driver and a road map," Golomb explained. "You [the members of the UA] are the drivers, and it's up to the chair to provide the road map." Schorr ran unopposed for his second term as treasurer after Golomb defeated his bid for chair. In his speeches, he pointed to his work on joint student government resolutions to investigate the University's general fee as proof that he could mobilize student groups and get things done. The candidates for vice chairperson echoed Golomb and Schorr's emphasis on UA relations with student groups, while answering questions concerning galvanizing UA members and working with other branches of student government. The victorious Kamin explained that the UA must interact with all levels of the University. "We must spend the upcoming year building bridges -- bridges between other student groups, the administration, students, and UA members," Kamin said. College sophomore Wendy Mongillo defeated College sophomore Josh Rockoff in the race for secretary. Mongillo promised to make minutes and agendas of meetings more accessible to members and students alike by posting them on newsgroups and list-servs. After two tied races, College sophomore Meredith Hertz defeated Barend for the position of representative to UC Steering. Hertz called for training sessions for new UC members to prepare them to deal with members of the faculty and administration. Golomb said he was thrilled by his victory and eager to begin his term. "It's clear from the questions that were asked by the student groups that Steering has to do a lot of work to develop projects and work with other groups, but I'm excited about the upcoming year," he said. Others, like College senior Mike Nadel, a Daily Pennsylvanian columnist who is not a member of the UA, were upset by Schorr's loss. "The UA never misses opportunity to miss opportunity," he said. But Rogers was confident in Golomb's ability to lead the UA. "I think Tal is going to make a terrific chair," he said. "I've worked closely with Tal on University Council in the past year. I've watched him gain experience and I think he's ready. Golomb becomes the first UA chair in four years to have served on the Steering Committee the year before his term as chairperson. He offered words of encouragement to the new UA. "This is your UA, and it begins now," Golomb said.