Less than six months ago, Keith Wilbur was running the campaign to put VOICE in charge of Student Senate.
On Tuesday, he left the organization.
Wilbur, former senator at-large and the junior student trustee, sent in a formal letter of resignation to Student Senate Vice President Anna Morton Tuesday afternoon, citing the negative direction in which senate is going as his main reason for leaving the body.
“I am extremely disappointed that senate today is not the body he joined three years ago,” Morton said.
During his three years on senate, Wilbur served as East Green Senator, in legislative affairs and as a campaign manager for VOICE, in addition to his most recent role as an at-large senator.
The negative atmosphere, lack of unity and “finger pointing” that are prevalent in the body were all reasons for his resignation, Wilbur said.
“I think that all distracts from senate and the work they could be doing for students,” Wilbur said. “I think that without the negativity I can move on to other things.”
His reasons for resignation reflect similar trends mentioned by Mary Kate Gallagher, former residence life commissioner, when she resigned from senate two weeks ago.
“Senate needs to reflect upon who they are losing and why members feel that they have to resign,” Gallagher said. “I would really challenge Student Senate to not only reflect upon why people are resigning but upon what senate can do to make it better.”
Wilbur plans to dedicate more time to helping students through other outlets, including his position as a first-year student trustee.
“I want to make sure I am putting as much forward into my trustee role that I can,” Wilbur said.
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