The Student Union Vice President and Treasurer are resigning, according to an email sent from the Union to the student body Tuesday, Nov. 27. Both positions must be filled by the end of the semester, according to the email.
Vice President Benedikt Reynolds ’19 is resigning to focus on his personal health.
He expects his replacement will be a current senator, and hopes that they will work to improve the Union. “Ideally this person would make sure to continue the operations in a diplomatic and productive matter and make sure to remind the senators that they’re meant to be liaison to the student body and to their respective constituency but also be a resource for initiative whether it be SMRs or amendments,” he said.
He emphasized that meetings with the administration were the best opportunities to effect change in the Union, and that “the administration has been remarkably open and engaging and actively seeking our advice.”
He continued, “And that has been the most rewarding thing to me and the most thankful whereas, in comparison, I think the Senate has been remarkably thankless.”
Reynolds’ resignation comes after a proposal to install pianos in first-year dorms by Senator Alex Chang ’22 and supported by Senator Linfei Yang ’20, who publicly called out Reynolds on Facebook and in an email for not being fully transparent. Reynolds would not say if their actions contributed to his resignation.
Treasurer Jerry Miller ’18 is graduating this semester, and therefore decided to resign so a new treasurer could be elected. In an email to The Hoot, Miller wrote that his ideal replacement would be “someone who has excellent time management skills, as the position requires the treasurer to be available at any hour of the day.”
He hopes that his successor would have an “in-depth knowledge of SUMS, the Student Union Management System, as many questions that come through require a thorough understanding of the system to be able to answer them,” and be patient with students who want to understand the “convoluted” treasury system.
In an email to The Brandeis Hoot, he wrote, “Next semester will certainly come with its challenges. Three deputy treasurers are leaving due to graduation and abroad programs and two assistant treasurers are also leaving. This will require the incoming treasurer to work diligently with the incoming deputies and assistants to train them and help get them up to speed as soon as possible.”
He continued, “The University is switching our payment system from PeopleSoft to Workday. This has already caused issues for certain clubs, as clubs will no longer be able to pay students. The incoming treasurer will be required to deal with complaints from many clubs and help devise a solution to this pressing need. With the help of Steve Costa, the budget analyst, the treasurer should be well equipped to handle this, but he or she should certainly be aware of the challenges that will come.”
The elections will take place on Monday, Dec. 10, and candidates can register until Dec. 4. Those interested in running must attend a mandatory candidates’ information meeting in the Student Union Office Monday, Dec. 3 or contact the Chief of Elections, Qingtian Mei.
