New UA VP appointed
Miramonti, Wynter kick off new terms
Last night, the Undergraduate Association Senate swore in President Allan E. Miramonti ’13 and confirmed vice presidential appointee TyShaun Wynter ’13. Wynter was one of seven students that applied for the position following the resignation of former Vice President-Elect Alec C. Lai ’13. Wynter is currently New House President, and has not had any previous experience with the UA.
The response to Wynter’s appointment is generally positive among students.
“[Miramonti and Wynter] are in touch with different parts of campus,” Chelsi E. Green ’13 said. “They represent a greater portion of campus than previously.”
“TyShaun is a lot more approachable [than Miramonti]” Chelsie W. Librun ’13 said, “When [Wynter] has a job, he puts the fullest into that job.”
Miramonti sent out an email to undergrads asking for applicants to the position after Lai resigned last month. He received seven applications and conducted four interviews.
“I was looking for someone who was a fast learner, could think critically, was a good manager, and, of course, exhibited general competency,” Miramonti said. “I think TyShaun presented himself well, was organized, and had those qualities.”
Looking ahead to the new term, Miramonti is advocating for a “data-driven” approach to running the UA, while maintaining the transparency that former UA President Vrajesh Y. Modi ’11 aimed to bring to the organization this past year. Miramonti also plans to make it a point to engage students with administration members in decision-making processes, including Walker Memorial repurposing and kitchen renovations across campus. Furthermore, Miramonti says he is taking the concerns that Lai brought up in his resignation letter seriously.
In his April 27 letter to undergraduates, Lai cited numerous problems with UA internal management. He charged unspecified members of the UA with contributing to a generally unsupportive environment in the organization.
“Alec’s points have not fallen upon deaf ears,” Miramonti said.
The UA has recently been devoting time in their meetings to evaluating how they can make their members feel valued. Miramonti said he viewed those efforts as opportunities for reflection on how to make improvements in the upcoming year.
Natasha Plotkin contributed reporting.