With the Undergraduate Assembly’s heated internal elections behind them, members of the body remain divided about the alleged confrontation between outgoing Chairman Alec Webley, a College junior, and newly elected Speaker G.J. Melendez-Torres, a Wharton and Nursing junior.
When election results were announced, Melendez-Torres said Webley “did in fact hand [him] a resignation letter. That part certainly happened.”
College freshman and UA Member Jake Shuster said, “Alec stormed out of the room.”
Though he did not see the entire encounter, Shuster said he was “pretty sure about [Webley] throwing hissy fits” based on discussions with other members who witnessed the incident.
However, Melendez-Torres insisted he did not “remember anything being torn up or thrown at me,” as was alleged by an anonymous source within the body.
UA Vice President Mark Pan, a College junior, agreed, “[Webley] definitely left angered, but quietly.” As for allegations of more contentious behavior, Pan added, “I saw something different.”
Webley declined to comment.
Regardless, Nominations and Elections Committee Chairwoman Rachel Levick, a College senior, said Webley never officially resigned by NEC standards.
Based on last fall’s referendum creating the positions of UA president, vice president and speaker, Levick explained, the official resignation process involves first notifying the president — not the speaker.
As a result, she said, “in our book, no one resigned.”
Amid the confusion, all UA members agree that they want to move on from elections.
“These are things we want to put behind us,” said UA President Matt Amalfitano, a College junior.
“I’m sure we’ll be able to move forward,” Melendez-Torres agreed.
“Alec is still on the body,” he added, “We know that for sure.”
