After several hours of fiery and often partisan debate, a
divided undergraduate student government approved the appointment
of its newest member at Tuesday night’s meeting.
The four-and-a-half hour meeting ended with the swearing in of
fifth-year political science student Adam Pearlman as the
Undergraduate Students Association Council’s new facilities
commissioner.
Pearlman ““ who was the second candidate Dahle appointed,
after the first was rejected ““ was approved with a 6-5-0
vote.
Following interviews of five candidates held last Saturday, USAC
President David Dahle made his recommendations to council, in
accordance with the USAC constitution.
Dahle’s first recommendation, second-year economics
student Chris Abraham was voted down by a 3-6-2 vote.
The first time Pearlman was presented to council he was opposed
by a 5-6-0 vote.
The five councilmembers belonging to the Student Empowerment!
slate along with Community Service Commissioner Suzanne Yu, an
independent, voted against Pearlman’s appointment.
Yu later switched her vote.
Before Pearlman’s approval, External Vice President Chris Neal
of Empowerment! said he felt another candidate, fourth-year
political science and geography student, Matt Kaczmarek was more
qualified than Dahle’s first two recommendations.
Kaczmarek works closely with Neal’s office and represented
Neal at USAC meetings on several occasions.
Kaczmarek maintained he does not identify with either slate.
All Empowerment! councilmembers said the best candidate was not
being forwarded by Dahle, who belongs to the Students United for
Reform and Equality slate. Some accused Dahle of playing slate
politics to keep the delicate balance of council from tilting
Empowerment!’s way.
But Dahle said Kaczmarek was not recommended because he sits on
numerous boards and may not have had the time he needed to devote
proper attention to the office.
After his recommendations were voted down, Dahle refused to
present any further applicants for Council’s
consideration.
Though Abraham was Dahle’s first appointee, the president
began to argue that Pearlman was the most qualified candidate.
Financial Supports Commissioner Andrew LaFlamme agreed Pearlman
had ample knowledge of the commission. He approved of
Pearlman’s “progressive view” of how to handle an
office that LaFlamme said has received a lack of respect in the
past.
But Academics Affairs Commissioner Chris Diaz said he felt
further discussion on the rejected Pearlman was pointless and
requested David to present another nominee to Council.
“The list of five candidates needs to be exhausted and the
appointment has to be made by tomorrow,” Neal said, referring
to the 21-day deadline placed on Dahle by the USAC bylaws.
But after Yu said she would change her vote, Pearlman was again
proposed. With Yu’s vote, he was approved 6-5-0.
The meeting ended with a clear rift between the two slates.
“I’ve never had any trust in (Dahle) as
president,” Diaz said, after the meeting. “I’m
now more concerned with just doing my job than with the discussion
that goes on at the table.”
After Pearlman was sworn into office, Diaz along with his
slate-mates, Internal Vice President T.J. Cordero and Cultural
Affairs Commissioner Robbie Clark left, while other councilmembers
stayed at the table.
Annie McElwain, who was elected as facilities commissioner as a
member of the S.U.R.E. slate last spring, resigned from council due
to unspecified personal reasons earlier this month.