Brooklyn College’s Undergraduate Student Goverment (USG) had a rocky start to its second semester, as both Press Director Nailah Pressley and Student Advocate Zain Qureshi resigned their positions over winter break.
As reported by the Vanguard last September, Pressley and Qureshi were both midsemester replacements for appointees who ran on Taylor’s ticket in last spring’s USG election and resigned over the summer. Pressley and Qureshi both ran as Vice Presidential candidates on the tickets of Taylor’s opponents.
These two resignations come after a slew of departures in both the executive and legislative branches of USG, including that of former Vice President Ethan Milich in November.
“We are always sad to see members of our team leave, but we understand the importance of pushing forward,” said USG President Alyssa Taylor in a statement to the Vanguard. “It is not uncommon for members of Student Government to change throughout the fiscal year. What has changed this year is a persistence to fill the position with the right candidate, therefore the vacancies are more publicized than in the past,” she said.
Qureshi currently cites “personal reasons” for stepping down. Nailah Pressley declined to comment on the reasons why, instead telling Vanguard, “I do believe all things happen for a reason, and this was probably the best decision for the parties involved.” Pressley went on to wish the executive board “the best of luck in their endeavors,” while Qureshi hopes his replacement “continues the work” from last semester.
USG is currently searching for candidates to fill these positions via an online form, and plans on conducting interviews to find the most qualified and motivated candidate.
“We truly believe in uniting the campus, and to do that we are reaching out to more than the already involved pool of students,” said Taylor.