By Brian Benson

The Resident Student Association (RSA) elected Mark Epstein president and Nicole Johnson vice president for housing services in a five-hour meeting last Wednesday.

The presidential election pitted Epstein, a sophomore industrial engineering major and current vice president for housing services, against Kristina Cecil, a middler marketing major who is the current national communications coordinator.

“I felt both candidates were qualified and I was not worried about the future of RSA [if either was elected],” said RSA’s current President Darren Conine.

The election process began with 10-minute speeches by both candidates, in which Epstein focused on his RSA leadership experience. He said he served as the RSA representative to the Student Government Association (SGA) and assistant vice president of programming before his current vice presidential role.

“I have a really good understanding of how this organization fits into the university,” he said.

Cecil, who spoke second, presented a puzzle theme.

“My goals are very similar to puzzle pieces,” she said “Together they make a whole, a very successful whole.”

Cecil said her goals included keeping the executive board “cohesive and motivated” through retreats and recognition programs, and making the General Council “personal and productive” through forums for sharing hall programming and themed meetings.

“It’s important that the General Council interact instead of just sitting there,” she said.

Like Epstein, Cecil also emphasized her previous RSA leadership experience.

“The many hats I’ve worn in this organization give me the experience for president,” she said, adding she had previously served as a hall council president and assistant national communication coordinator.

After the candidates’ speeches, secret written ballots were cast and counted. Epstein, who received the necessary 50 percent plus one simple majority, won the election and will take office the first day of the Spring/Summer I intersession period.

“I’m extremely excited about next year and all the opportunities we have in this organization,” he said after the election.

Conine said he feels Epstein will be a great president.

“He reminds me a lot of myself,” he said. “He can handle a lot of stress. I think with him leading the organization, things will only get better for RSA.”

The vice president for housing services election, which pitted Johnson, a middler information science major, against sophomore information science and management major Matt Soleyn, involved two revotes.

“This position is how I can best serve this organization,” Soleyn said in his speech. “I want to work proactively to improve the day-to-day life on this campus.”

Johnson said her experiences as assistant vice president of programming and assistant vice president of finance make her ideal for the position.

“I live on campus and I want to make living on campus better for everyone,” she said. “It’s my passion to make everyone comfortable on campus.”

RSA went through the same voting process as in the presidential election, only this time neither candidate received a simple majority because a faction of RSA voted no confidence in either candidate. They hoped a no confidence vote would allow an unnamed ineligible candidate to run.

Conine said this was the wrong reason for such a vote.

“No confidence is used when there is a person you feel is not capable of doing that position,” he said. He added the executive board would have to waive requirements for the ineligible candidate to run following a no confidence decision. Those requirements dictate an executive board candidate must have been in the General Council for at least three semesters.

As a result of the split vote, another vote was conducted after five minutes of additional discussion. Neither candidates nor the number of no confidence votes had received a majority after the second vote either.

Then the candidate receiving the lowest number of votes, Soleyn, was eliminated. For the third vote, general councilors voted between Johnson, no confidence or to abstain. This vote resulted in Johnson receiving a simple majority and winning the election.

RSA elections continue for the next three Wednesdays with voting for vice presidents of finance and administration tonight, vice president of programming and national communications coordinator March 28 and SGA representative, RA Council representative and alumni affairs coordinator April 4. All meetings begin at 7:30 p.m. in 305 Shillman Hall.