Student Union president, secretary vote to ask for the vice president’s resignation

The Student Union president and secretary vote this week to’ ask Student Union Vice President Amy Mahler to resign from office, Union officials said.

This vote came as part of an internal’ performance evaluation planned about a month ago, Sappenfield, a College of Arts and Sciences and School of Management senior,’ said.

‘We’ve been evaluating because Union in the past has had issues with performance and issues with filling all positions to the best of our abilities,’ Sappenfield said.

‘This has just been really a period where we were able to look back on our summer performance and ask, ‘Have we been doing the best that we can, or are we better suited for other positions?’

In the Facebook message sent to Union Advisory Council members Friday, Mahler, a College of Communication junior, provided no context behind the vote, only stating that Sappenfield and Secretary Julianne Corbin have decided Mahler to be ‘unfit for the position.’

‘I implore you to let me keep my position,’ Mahler said in the message. ‘I have worked hard for it and I believe that when the year starts I can truly earn your trust and favor as the leader of the General Assembly.’

Sappenfield’ said he was not a recipient of the Facebook message. He would not comment on the reasons behind the’ vote, but said only that the executive board is conducting this performance evaluation ‘to discuss what’s best for the student body.’

Mahler, who was present for the vote, said Union Treasurer Mary Gameng remains a ‘loyal friend and peer,’ and the executive board ‘split’ on this decision.

‘The e-board has had a myriad of opinions, and there has been a split in this decisions,’ Sappenfield said. ‘But we have all been supportive of this process.’

Mahler did not respond to phone calls made at press time, and had stated in the message that she was going to be on vacation ‘when this investigation begins.’

To remove an executive board member from office, ‘a motion to remove the member must be made, then seconded, and subsequently accompanied by a three-fourths majority of quorum,’ according to the New Deal constitution, which remains the constitution under which Union operates.

Mahler said unless Union voting members vote otherwise, she must either resign from Union completely or resign from her position as vice president and take the public relations position.

‘But I look at the PR offer as a muzzle,’ she said. ‘It is a wonderful position that can give anyone a greater understanding of PR and human nature. However, it is not what I elected into. I was voted by the students of Boston University and I will not be bribed.’

The current executive board ran an uncontested slate in the 2009 elections. Mahler received 1,052 votes for vice president, out of the 1,300 ballots cast.’

If a member of the executive board resigned,’ ‘the President will appoint a replacement who needs a simple majority of the General Assembly’s approval before taking office,’ according to the New’ Deal constitution, which is still the constitution under which’ Union operates.’

‘We would in no way, shape or form force Amy out of office,” Sappenfield said. ‘If she does end up resigning, that would be a decision she would make for certain reasons, and we would be supportive of that. But that has yet to be seen.’
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