Sophomore Callie Kolbe announced her resignation from the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate on Sunday.
The decision comes over a week after the Sept. 13 elections for the freshmen class senators, so the Elections Commission (ECOM) will conduct a special election to fill the vacant position on Oct. 10. This will be preceded by a candidates' forum on Oct. 8 if more than one sophomore runs.
Kolbe said she decided to step down because she wants to diversify her activities.
"I am resigning because there are a lot of other things at college that I want to experience," she said. "It has nothing to do with anybody on Senate because I think everyone on the body works so hard and they're all friends of mine."
The sophomore said that she had been considering her decision for some time.
"I have been anxious to try something new for a while," she said.
After speaking with friends and mentors, Kolbe said she "finally put it in perspective." Kolbe now plans to pursue her interests in biopsychology and to focus on her classes.
"The reason why I'm here is to get an education first and it's nice to get a chance to really prioritize my academic life."
Some feel it would have been better if Kolbe had resigned before the freshmen elections so that her position could have already been filled.
Sophomore and ECOM Treasurer Kevin Terhorst said it makes the Senate's job harder when a resignation falls after freshmen elections because the Senate is then forced to operate minus one until an election can be held.
"As far as Senate logistics are concerned, it would be nice to have a full body," he said.
But he said it is not a major setback, as ECOM goes through the year "assuming" that there will need to be a special election at some point.
TCU President Neil DiBiase also said that the timing was not particularly problematic, noting that throwing a single sophomore seat in the freshmen elections might have drawn attention away from it.
Terhorst agreed, noting that special elections can help "raise awareness."
As a freshman, Kolbe worked on the Education Committee. She specifically focused on improving the connection between Career Services and freshmen.
She also served on the Allocations Board, where she was responsible for dealing with political groups on campus.
TCU Historian Alex Pryor feels that Kolbe's absence from Senate will be "unfortunate."
"We would have liked to have her in the body this year because she contributed so much last year," Pryor said.
DiBiase echoed these sentiments.
"I think Callie, like every senator, brings an interesting perspective to the Senate," he said. "She definitely brought a lot of energy and enthusiasm for Tufts and the work we were doing."
