The Undergraduate Assembly's gavel has been passed, and College junior Seth Schreiberg has been elected to lead the body into its 2002-2003 term.
The 25 members of the student government body gathered last night in Houston Hall's Bodek Lounge for six hours to determine their new leadership.
And there was no hesitation in selecting their new chairman.
In just one round, Schreiberg, the former UA treasurer, gained a clear majority over his three opponents -- College junior Aaron Short, Engineering sophomore Matt Lattman and Wharton junior Ethan Kay -- with 16 votes to his name. The other candidates accumulated a collective total of nine votes.
Schreiberg said he was ecstatic over his win.
"It was this euphoric feeling of gratitude and relief," Schreiberg said. "It's a testament to [the UA's] faith in me. They believed in the ideas I have to offer."
Those ideas will be supported by the remainder of the newly elected executive board. Kay will serve as vice chairman, Engineering junior Gautam Mashettiwar will serve as treasurer and College sophomores Kirsten Grubbs and Jason Levy will serve as secretary and University Council steering representative, respectively.
Both Lattman and Short failed to win spots on the executive board despite dropping down to contend for lower positions on the board.
Schreiberg and Kay had expressed intentions to run as co-chairmen earlier this week. However, Kay dropped out of the running, only to put himself back in -- as a separate candidate -- late Tuesday night.
But now, the "dynamic duo" and best friends will serve together in the top two positions on the UA.
"Our friendship is bigger than this body," said Kay. "I'm so proud of Seth's performance. It's a position which will no longer be under-utilized."
Schreiberg's feat is relatively uncommon -- in the recent past, only outgoing Chairwoman Dana Hork was elected in a single round. Kay also won his spot on the board in one round of voting, which some believe shows that the UA body will give full support to its new leaders.
"That's rare that that happens," Nominations and Elections Committee Chairwoman Anne Hankey said. "I think it shows they are going to be strong leaders."
And that strong leadership may be necessary for the new UA.
Throughout the duration of the elections process, members drifted in and out of the proceedings -- so much so that the NEC was forced to take roll to ensure that the UA still had quorum to hold elections.
"This is absolutely pathetic," Hankey said of the absences.
But Schreiberg doesn't see the body in that light.
"The new UA is fantastic," Schreiberg said. "I was so excited to hear the results of who won. It is even stronger than it was this year."
And Hork applauded the new leaders' potential and their ability to motivate the body.
"The cohesiveness of this executive board will allow them to push their agenda forward with a united visible front," Hork said. "Seth will be an extremely strong advocate for student interests."
Among those interested parties are the representatives from the five additional student government branches which the UA oversees -- the Social Planning and Events Committee, the Student Committee on Undergraduate Education, the Student Activities Council, Tangible Change and the NEC.
Newly-elected SAC Chairman Simon Bland says he approves of the UA's decision for chairman.
"I think Seth and I are going to have a good relationship, and hopefully that will lead to a great relationship between the UA and SAC," Bland said. "Seth sat on the SAC executive board for a year, and he knows what SAC needs and what we want."
While many have lauded Schreiberg's ability as a visionary and a leader, his interpersonal skills have sometimes been called into question.
And it is an issue Schreiberg addressed candidly.
"Obviously, with so many people saying it is an issue, it is something I need to work on," Schreiberg said. "But in spite of that, I was still the best candidate."
Schreiberg will take on his new responsibilities immediately.
The new UA is set to convene for its first meeting this Sunday. During the question-and-answer period of elections for chairman, Schreiberg mentioned two new ideas which he is looking to pursue. He wants to look into changing the University's drug policy with regard to financial aid -- similar to a decision made by Yale University last week -- and providing free access to SEPTA for students.
