The single vice presidential candidate running in Thursday’s special election, Kendal Chapman ’22, was elected last night by a vote of 120 in favor to 36 votes of no confidence. Seventy students wrote in other candidates and 10 abstained in the vote. 

Chapman answered questions from both The Brandeis Hoot and the Justice on Tuesday evening in the Shapiro Campus Center Multi-Purpose Room. No members of the student body attended the debate.

“On the whole I’m very excited to get started,” said Chapman in an interview with The Hoot after her election. “I’m excited to meet with committee chairs… figure out what my style is going to be and just to get to know everyone.”

Chapman has served on both the Senate and the Executive Board, starting on the Student Union in her first year—experiences she said prepare her for the role of vice president, a position responsible for communicating between Union branches and presiding over Senate meetings.

Chapman said on Tuesday that she hopes to create accountability in the Senate, clarify senator responsibilities and change the student body’s perception of the Union. Chapman hopes to portray the Union as a resource to the Brandeis community by engaging in more outreach, like with Union social media pages.

“The Union is seen in a very negative light,” said Chapman, “They [the student body] doesn’t know what we’re doing and how we can help them.”

The vice presidency opened up after the previous vice president, Guillermo Caballero ’20, resigned effective Nov. 1. Caballero’s resignation came after he and Senior Representative to the Board of Trustees Zosia Busé ’20 brought complaints against Student Union President Simran Tatuskar ’21 to the Student Union Judiciary, according to an earlier article by The Hoot.

Chapman also wants to encourage students to come to Senate meetings to help create accountability. She said that she recognizes that the Union has faced conflict between branches and members in the past, such as the recent judiciary case, and wants to improve communication to diminish conflict. 

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In each weekly senate meeting, senators have the option to give updates on what they’ve been working on throughout the week or the option to pass. Chapman wants to create accountability in the senate by clarifying what each senator is responsible for on a day-by-day basis, and by eliminating the pass options from senators.

 “Everybody should have something to say even if it’s something small,” said Chapman on Tuesday. 

Chapman also wants to encourage students to come to senate meetings to help create accountability. She said that she recognizes that the union has faced conflict between branches and members in the past, such as the recent judiciary case, and wants to improve communication to diminish conflict. Union members are all students who just want to help the Brandeis community, said Chapman, and communication is crucial to aiding that goal.

In her career on the Union, Chapman has seen the resignation of two vice presidents. Responding to a question submitted to the candidate question and answer session and read by Tatuskar, Chapman said that she knows what she’s getting into and will not resign.