In an emotionally charged meeting Wednesday, UW-Madison student government representatives voted not to approve the Nominations Board’s recommendation to allow two formerly removed student leaders to return to their positions.
Former Associated Students of Madison Vice Chair Beth Huang and Nominations Board Chair Niko Magallón were removed in September after the Student Judiciary ruled they did not complete required service hours for violating election rules.
Representatives shot looks across the room as ASM Chair Allie Gardner announced Huang would not be allowed to return to council.
Huang received only 17 of the 20 votes, taken anonymously, necessary for appointment. Magallón also only received 17 votes.
ASM Chair Allie Gardner said she is frustrated the two seats have remained empty for so long.
“If student council continues to ignore recommendations of Nominations Board, those seats will continue to go unfilled and the College of Letters and Science will not be adequately represented,” Gardner said.
Gardner said Huang and Magallón were among the candidates receiving the highest number of votes upon their initial election, and the Nominations Board appointing less-qualified candidates would set a poor precedent.
“I’m wondering what kind of message that sends to fill those seats with people that weren’t originally elected by the student body versus those who were,” Gardner said.
The Nominations Board will now review all applicants and nominate two more candidates, a process which Gardner said would likely go until next semester.
Huang said she and Magallón have been held to strict implementation of the ASM Constitution throughout the removal and re-appointment process.
“I think that the amount of personal distress that I have gone through over the past seven weeks has been so out of scale with the misdemeanor that I committed six months ago,” Huang said.
