Team Manship lost a key player Tuesday when its vice president flew to England for spring semester.
This is the first time in 13 years that Student Government Association adviser Kay Bales has seen a member of the executive board resign, she said.
Adam Ittenbach, former vice president of SGA, carefully weighed his decision to study abroad at the London Centre, president Jayson Manship said.
"It was a tough decision for him," Manship said. "We talked about it for a couple of weeks. His dad really wanted him to get a study-abroad experience."
Student senate pro tempore, junior Ben Tietz, was officially placed in the position of vice president Wednesday afternoon. Manship described Tietz as "a very hard worker" with the most experience in SGA.
"He knows what he's doing," Manship said. "I'm not worried."
His freshman year, Tietz joined SGA and became parliamentarian of student senate. He's been pro tempore, the leader of senate committees and caucuses, since April of his sophomore year.
As pro tempore, he served on the University Senate Agenda Committee and was a non-voting member of the judicial court.
Tietz said he was surprised and disappointed to hear about Ittenbach's departure. He said executive board lost an asset, and he lost a chance to meet his goals as pro tempore.
"Part of me was hoping that he wouldn't leave," Tietz said. "I really enjoyed that job. I had a lot of plans for it."
Tietz will hand over his responsibilities to an elected pro tempore. He will mentor his replacement, and as vice president he will also continue Ittenbach's project of reopening Bracken Library's 24-hour study lab, he said. The 24-hour lab was moved to Robert Bell building last year.
"People actually study at the tables there, but they're kicked out at midnight," Tietz said. "(Robert Bell) is a good computer lab, but it's not really conducive to studying."
After Tietz read a statement to senators, explaining Ittenbach's circumstances and his own, they nominated three candidates for pro tempore: Olufunmbi Elemo, Michael Piercefield and Meghan Newlund.
Piercefield serves on the academic affairs committee, and Newlund is a member of the student services committee. Piercefield and Newlund currently represent off-campus students in SGA.
Newlund said out of her opportunities in college "SGA has been the greatest."
"I would really appreciate the opportunity to get more involved," Newlund said. "I'm 100 percent involved in SGA."
Piercefield could not be reached for comment.
Elemo is part of the senators at-large caucus and was elected president of the diversity and multi-cultural affairs committee. She said if elected pro tempore, she would represent her fellow senators and ensure that the student voice continues to be heard.
"It's a position that I've been looking at for a long time," Elemo said. "I'm really honored."
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