Field Wide Open For New UC VP

After the unexpected resignation of the Undergraduate Council (UC) Vice President Ian W. Nichols ’06 Sunday night, UC members say that they still don’t know who will run to be his successor at tomorrow’s meeting.

“As far as I know no one has declared candidacy,” UC president Matthew J. Glazer ’06 said yesterday.

Current Student Affairs Committee (SAC) chair Aaron D. Chadbourne ’06—who many considered to be a front-runner for the vice president position—wrote in a statement last night that not only would he not be pursuing the post but would not be running for reelection to the council next semester.

“I am incredibly proud of the work that we’ve done and all that we’ve accomplished in this one short semester,” Chadbourne wrote in his announcement. He added that he plans to continue working on SAC over the summer and ensuring a “seamless transition” in SAC leadership.

Former vice presidential candidate Clay T. Capp ’06, however, said yesterday that he is considering running at tomorrow’s meeting.

Capp, who was Glazer’s running mate in December, said that he has not yet fully made up his mind whether to give the vice presidency another shot but that his goals for the UC have not changed since his last race.

“I’m going to think about it a lot and talk to people on campus and make that determination by Thursday,” Capp said.

Although no one has officially declared their candidacy, many UC members are considering running.

“I think half the council is thinking about running at this point,” joked UC treasurer Faraz Munaim ’06 who added that he is considering seeking the position of vice president. “The point is that a lot of people are just not committing yet.”

Secretary Matthew R. Greenfield ’08, who is acting vice president, also said he has not ruled out the possibility of running.

Although Glazer said he has no endorsements for a vice presidential candidate, he said that he is looking for a someone he feels comfortable working with.

“Personally I would like a partner with whom I share a vision for the council and for the campus,” Glazer said.

Chadbourne’s announcement that he will not return next year opens up political possibilities for sophomore UC members. The SAC chair position is traditionally a launching pad to the presidency—four of the past five UC presidents held the post—and is typically held for a year starting second-semester sophomore year. The lack of a sophomore SAC chair this year means there is no heir apparent to the UC presidency, which might change next year if a rising junior is elected.

According to UC bylaws, the new vice president must be elected by the UC at the next general meeting—slated for tomorrow—and the candidate need not be a member of the UC. All committee chairs are elected at the beginning of each semester by council members.

SAC member Jason L. Lurie ’05 said that rumors were flying that Nichols would attempt to run again for vice president at tomorrow’s meeting. However, Nichols wrote in an e-mail yesterday that he would not be running.

Lurie also said that he hoped a senior representative would run, leaving the election of vice president to next year’s UC, when member turnover can be high.

But Justin R. Chapa ’05 said he thinks that a senior would not be able to win and would be a bad choice, since the UC president needs a vice president to work with over the summer.

—Staff writer Liz C. Goodwin can be reached at goodwin@fas.harvard.edu.