The 18th Assembly of the University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA) met on Wednesday to pass one bill and elect its new Student Fee Board representative.

Following reports by President Nora O’Toole and Vice President Giselle Concepcion, the assembly moved into old business.

Old Business

The only piece of old business discussed was Bill #43-18: Funding of Professionalism for Digital Footprint Campaign. This bill would make UPUA responsible for creating a social media campaign explaining why it’s crucial to have a clean digital footprint and inform students on how to appear professional online. This course of action would also provide resources targeted toward students who were wrongly terminated by their employers.

Bill #43-18 passed unanimously.

Before moving on to elections, Shelby Corbett was confirmed as UPUA’s executive director of internal inclusion and support. Corbett was then sworn in alongside MENA Caucus Representative Mohammed Al-Hendi.

Elections

The sole election of the night was for the assembly’s new Student Fee Board representative. Three candidates ran for the position: Hayden D’Elena, Roman Bahadursingh, and Henry Wagner. 

The first to speak was D’Elena, the current chief justice of the assembly. D’Elena spoke about his diligence, objectivity, and decisiveness, and how he believes these traits will allow him to be successful as Student Fee Board representative. He also touched on how being a fourth-year student provides him with an abundance of experience for the position.

Roman Bahadursingh, the current International Student Council representative, spoke next. Bahadursingh highlighted his relevant experience, which includes his education in finance and involvement in the University Park Allocation Committee. He also expressed how his involvement in student life would allow him to represent a large portion of the Penn State community.

Last up was first-year representative Henry Wagner. As a first-year student, Wagner believes that he will bring a unique perspective to the position of Student Fee Board representative. Wagner also explained how the position is like an investment and how he’ll provide longevity that the other candidates cannot.

Following discussion within the assembly, D’Elena won the election with a 16-15 vote.