The University Judiciary Committee appointed third-year College student Emily Forrester as UJC Chair in a closed election yesterday evening. UJC members also chose incumbent Charity Harrell as Vice Chair for First Years, Zach Scharf as Vice Chair for Trials and Matt Ellis as Vice Chair for Sanctions.
Forrester, who served as Vice Chair for Trials last term, said she is excited for the "chance to give back in a more holistic way" to the UJC, by aiming to incorporate more community service into sanctions.
The current sanctions "lean very punitively," Forrester said, so she hopes to implement sanctions with more educational value.
Third-year College student Harrell said she decided to run for a second term as Vice Chair for First Years to continue efforts to create a community for the First-Year Judiciary Committee, a UJC subcommittee which hears all cases involving alleged offenses by first-year students.
"It's important that we are keeping the future in mind," Harrell said. "I really hope to take that momentum further."
Harrell said she enjoys working with first-year students, adding that her mentoring has extended beyond UJC-related activities.
"It really is a community that I've formed with them," Harrell said.
Third-year Commerce student Scharf served as a senior counselor last term. He said he is "tremendously excited" for this term, as the other recently elected executive members are "incredibly competent and dedicated."
Scharf said similarities between the skills required for his former and future positions would allow for a "pretty easy transition."
Third-year Commerce student Matt Ellis, who previously served as a counselor, said he was eager to start the term.
"[My] main goal is to foster open communication between students once they're convicted and the supervisors... and to ensure all the sanctions we hand out are fair and just," he said.
The next two weeks are a transition period, with the new term officially beginning April 1.
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