The Undergraduate Council of Students voted to reelect Alexander Kaplan ’14 as Student Activities Chair at its general body meeting last night.
The council voted for Kaplan over Chiemeka Omwuanaegpule ’14.
Kaplan, a former Herald staff writer, was suspended from his role as Student Activities Chair after he left the UFB meeting last Thursday early to study for a midterm, thereby incurring a third unexcused absence from a UFB meeting in one semester and violating UFB code.
Kaplan told The Herald the manner in which UFB leaders approached his suspension was “frustrating” because they did not notify him he already had two absences or offer to sit down and discuss the situation with him.
Though Kaplan left the Thursday meeting after half an hour, other members stayed for the full three hours, said Alex Sherry ’15, UFB member.
“I had to decide, do I put my academics ahead of my UFB responsibilities?” Kaplan told The Herald after the UCS meeting. “Maybe I would have reevaluated if I knew (the consequences).”
Excused absences comprise medical issues, family emergencies and travel for interviews, said Zak Fischer ’13, UFB chair. All three of Kaplan’s absences this semester fell under the category of unexcused, Fischer said, adding that Kaplan had unexcused absences last fall as well.
Kaplan’s suspension from his role as Student Activities Chair came during spring budgeting, the most important time of the year for UFB. Kaplan’s suspension prevented him from representing his student groups in spring budgeting meetings over the weekend.
“He was removed from the board at a very critical time,” said Leila Veerasamy ’15, UFB member.
“I don’t like how I was removed during the busiest week of the year for UFB,” Kaplan said.
Council members said they voted to reelect Kaplan, because he had established strong ties with key University administrators.
UCS President Anthony White ’13 said Kaplan had a good relationship with Timothy Shiner, student activities director, “who is critical for what we do,” White said.
“That’s something to keep in mind: these various relationships I’ve formed throughout the year,” Kaplan said in his speech to the council. “If you put a new SA chair in place, some of that relationship is lost,” he said, adding that he had forged a strong relationship with Shiner in particular through collaboration on the mid-year Student Activities Fair and other initiatives.
Gregory Chatzinoff ’15 originally entered the election for Student Activities Chair but withdrew once Council members informed him the role would make him ineligible to serve on the University Resources Committee, for which he applied.
Looking ahead, Kaplan said he will attend all of the remaining UFB meetings of the semester.
“It’s great that I’m back in my role. I just want to move forward,” Kaplan told The Herald.
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