Union’s Mahler decries demotion

‘ After what the Student Union President called a ‘performance review,’ College of Communication junior Amy Mahler resigned from her post as vice president and accepted the Union’s public relations position.

Union President James Sappenfield said the review took place in the final weeks of summer, after a board meeting.

‘It was decided that the vice president might be better suited to another position,’ Sappenfield said.

Mahler said she has accepted the executive board members’ decision and will keep the public relations position for the rest of this year.

‘That has been deemed by my coworkers to be where my talents lie.’ I’m very much a people person,’ Mahler said.

Mahler said she was originally hesitant to accept the position, stating in a message to members of the Student Union Advisory Council that she viewed the offer as a ‘muzzle’ and that she ‘would not be bribed.’

Mahler said she worded the message against taking the PR position so strongly because she was working hard during her time of evaluation.

‘I had been working so hard and doing the best that I could,’ she said.

One of the main problems found in performance over the summer was Mahler’s absence from Boston due to a New York internship, Mahler said.

‘It was very difficult for me to get down here [to Boston,] and James and Julianne [Corbin, Union Secretary] needed me to be down here,’ she said.

Mahler said she had initially hoped to be able to juggle her Union responsibilities and her internship, but the time demands and distance from Boston proved to be a problem.

‘One lesson to take away is that if you’re going to run for Union, you have to be in town,’ she said.’ ‘

Though she said she still believes she is capable of fulfilling the duties of a Union vice president, Mahler said that her main priority is doing what is best for the student body.

‘I still think I’m the best person for the position, but if my team is not comfortable working with me, I can’t do the best that I can do,’ she said. ‘I want to help the student body as much as I can.’

Still, Mahler said she is worried the students who voted for her are not yet fully aware of her change in position and why it occurred.

‘I definitely think students are going to be confused,’ she said. ‘I think at first they’re going to be unhappy. I welcome any student to come talk to me about it.’

Currently under consideration to fill the VP position is Mikhail Makalski, who was the Residence Hall Association representative to the Union for 575 Commonwealth Avenue last year.

‘Honestly, Mikhail knows more people than possibly any person on campus,’ Mahler says. ‘He knows pretty much every administrator. He has plenty of talent to get the job done.’

Mahler said she is not harboring any hard feelings against her fellow e-board members.

‘We don’t want to present this nasty image,’ Mahler said. ‘As much as I disagree with what’s happened, I still want the Union to look great next year.”