Off-campus students saw a change in their ASWU leadership this winter as senior David Kuraya, former off-campus senator, resigned from his position and senior Gillian Goodrich, the new off-campus representative, was added to the team.
Senior Dan Lewis, who served as off-campus representative last fall, has taken Kuraya’s place as senator for spring term. Goodrich has been appointed to fill Lewis’ position.
Although Kuraya resigned from his senator position last December, ASWU members were not officially informed of the resignation until their Feb. 3 assembly. During the same meeting, Lewis and Goodrich were introduced in their new positions.
Goodrich said she feels included by other ASWU members despite the fact that she is stepping into her position midway through the year.
“So far I’ve felt really welcome on ASWU,” Goodrich said.
Unlike Goodrich, who is serving on ASWU for the first time, Lewis has had additional experience besides his role as representative to prepare him for his current position. Last year, he was Stewart Hall senator.
The fact that he has more constituents as off-campus senator will be one challenge of his new role, Lewis said.
“Before I had a little over 100 [constituents],” Lewis said.
An additional difference between his current and former roles is the method by which a weekly newsletter is disbursed. A newsletter for off-campus students is posted each week on OffCampusPirates.com, a Web site designed by Kuraya and Lewis in the fall.
Lewis no longer follows the tradition of dorm senators when sharing his newsletters by posting them in bathrooms.
Kuraya will serve out his last semester at Whitworth as a RA in Warren. His ties to the residence hall led him to apply for a RA position that opened late last fall.
“I really enjoyed working with ASWU this semester,” Kuraya said. “I will miss being senator.”
Kuraya was approached about applying for the RA position after a member of the Warren RA leadership team announced plans to study abroad during spring term.
“They did pursue me, but were very careful about it, not wanting to step on anyone’s feet,” Kuraya said. “I was very hesitant to take the job because I already had a position.”
Among the first people to learn that Kuraya was considering applying to the position in Warren were Dayna Coleman Jones, assistant dean of students, and Tyler Hamilton, ASWU Executive Vice President.
Once he notified Coleman Jones and Hamilton of his plan to apply to the open RA position in Warren, plans were made to select a replacement for the off-campus post that Kuraya would possibly vacate.
Holding an election for the position was not considered a viable option by Coleman Jones and Hamilton, as they knew Kuraya would not be informed of his acceptance until late December.
“There have been [ASWU members] who have left their positions in the past,” Coleman Jones said. “If we know they’re leaving by October, then we can hold another election before spring term begins.”
The situation called for a consultation of the ASWU Bylaws.
“We found [in the Bylaws] that when a position is vacant, we can just appoint another person,” Coleman Jones said.
Hamilton and Coleman Jones then contemplated the appointment of Lewis as a replacement if Kuraya accepted.
It was decided that Lewis was the more logical choice for the position over Christine DeHaven, theme house representative, as Lewis was elected to his position by a wider base of off-campus students.
“Dan [Lewis] was elected by the entire off-campus constituency, and Christine DeHaven was elected by theme house residents,” Hamilton said.
With Lewis in line as a possible successor to Kuraya’s position, Hamilton and Coleman Jones addressed the need to secure a replacement for the off-campus representative.
“Gillian [Goodrich] was our first choice,” Hamilton said.
Because the last session of ASWU had already taken place by the time Kuraya was hired, ASWU members were not officially notified of Kuraya’s decision, Lewis’ new position and the addition of Goodrich to the off-campus team until the first Assembly meeting of spring semester.
Kuraya said he feels Lewis is prepared to take on his former position, as Lewis served as Stewart senator last year and was a member of the off-campus leadership team throughout fall semester. He finds humor in his own circumstance.
“It’s a really funny situation, that I’m a rookie RA in the last semester of my senior year,” Kuraya said.
Contact Candace Pontoni at candace.pontoni@whitworthian.com.
Off-campus senator steps down to become RA
Published: Saturday, February 6, 2010
Updated: Tuesday, February 16, 2010
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