Junior Shaun Glassman resigned from the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate this week, effective immediately after criticizing Senate procedure as inefficient and describing it as "torture."
Elections Board member Abby Lillianfeld said last night that ELBO has not yet met to decided when to hold an election to fill the now-open seat.
"I'd get through an entire meeting and feel like nothing had been accomplished. I didn't feel like I was changing the school," Glassman said.
Glassman's letter of resignation cited his decision to go abroad spring semester and said he would not serve the remainder of his term this semester.
"I wanted to make meetings more efficient, but [the other Senate members] wouldn't really listen," he said. "I can't just sit around for hours at meetings discussing other meetings. If that works for them, that's fine. Some people really have a passion for it. I'll respect that, but it's not for me. I like to use my time efficiently," Glassman said.
TCU Associate Treasurer Harish Perkari said Glassman's resignation was "a very cut and dry issue because he will be abroad next semester."
Perkari also said it was typical for juniors going abroad in the spring not to serve on the Senate in the fall.
Glassman said his disillusion with the Senate is longstanding. "I've never been on any kind of terms with anyone on the Senate. I left on my own accord, but I deserved to get kicked out," he said.
As for next fall, Glassman said it is highly unlikely that he will run for a Senate position again.
"If I had nothing to do, it would be fine to spend my time filtering through the crap to find the substance," Glassman said. "Sure, the Senate does some worthwhile things, but finding them is like finding a needle in a haystack."
This was Glassman's first year on the Senate. He was the president of his high school government and said he figured he was "cut out" for the position on the TCU Senate. "In high school, though, we would spend less time and get more done for our efforts," he said.
As a senator, Glassman said he suggested that Senate Vice President Rafi Goldberg e-mail his lengthy reports to senators, instead of spending meeting time on them. "Why should I go to a meeting to hear people report back on other meetings they've had?" he said.
TCU President Dave Baumwoll said he "respectfully disagrees" with Glassman's criticisms. "We are on top of our game more than any year in the past," he said. "There's lots of business to discuss. Efficiency isn't about doing things the quickest, it's about taking the right amount of time."
Public Relations Chair of the Senate Alexei Wagner said Glassman's "resignation illustrates the immense time commitment that is required to be an active member of the TCU Senate."
Glassman served on the Senate public relations committee.
Freshman Senator Harsha Bronamraju said it was "disappointing to see a member of the Senate resign for any reason, because it may affect the cohesiveness of the group."
Wagner pointed to the potential for positive change, however. "His resignation can be looked at as a wonderful opportunity to bring a new person with fresh ideas to the body," Wagner said.
