ASUCM PRESIDENT RESIGNS

The President has left the building. What should have been a routine Senate meeting turned into the scene of the undergraduate student body losing their two-term ASUCM President, Lamar Williams. It was announced at the October 19 Senate meeting that Williams has offered his resignation in light of conflicting personal issues.

Charles Nies, Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and advisor for Senate, announced in his report that Williams found he was not able to dedicate time for ASUCM due to personal circumstances and therefore felt he needed to step down. Nies did not elaborate at the time to what these circumstances were. Williams was not present, but Nies appealed to the senators to send their well wishes to the former President.

In a later interview, Williams, a senior double majoring in Management and Computer Science and Engineering, did not state what his reasoning was for leaving his office, but cited that he would not be able to fulfill his “duties and responsibilities as President.”

“I felt it was in the students’ interest that I resign.”

Williams’ resignation letter reiterated his interview statements and did not list his causes for stepping down. He was elected president in Spring 2010, then again in Spring 2011.

 It was also announced that Internal Vice President Miguel Lopez would be taking over effective immediately the following day.

“This was all of a sudden to me. I didn’t find out until just before the meeting,” said Lopez.

With no time to make plans for his new presidency, Lopez, a senior Political Science major, who was also notified by Nies, is planning on cooperating with other executives and formulating goals. Though, he first acknowledged the departure of his predecessor.

“For him I share sympathies. I hope he comes out of what he’s going through.”

Williams acknowledges Lopez’s newfound position at the helm and believes he is capable of meeting the demands stating that he was “elected as Internal Vice-President by us, the students, because we believed he had the skills and qualities to do a great job at his responsibilities as an elected official brought him. This initial belief still stands as Miguel Lopez takes the command of ASUCM.”

Lamar Williams, the only re-elected ASUCM President to date at UC Merced, has left his post and Miguel Lopez is clocking in.

Lopez’s first term as Senator was in 2009-2010, serving as the Secretary of the Senate. Then continued as a Senator in 2010-2011, during which he was the Senate President Pro Tempore.

He ended the fateful meeting with a message to the senators in regards to his departure and past experience having a seat at the infamous meeting table where the Senate convenes.

“I’ve had some pretty awesome meetings and some bad meetings. I am going to be gone from this table. I’ve been here for two years and I wish you the best.”

No word yet has been released as to whether Williams will name the motivation behind his resignation from the executive office.