Wolfe

by Brian Douglas
of The Current staff

Interim vice-president Steven Wolfe was named acting president of the Student Government Association at an Executive Committee meeting held on Wednesday.

Wolfe described his appointment as an emergency measure taken to deal with the meeting scheduled to have taken place over the weekend, in which the student body presidents of the UM-System were to meet to select a new student representative to the Board of Curators. Darwin Butler, the elected student body president of UM - St. Louis, is currently in jail awaiting a hearing for violations of his work release agreement.

Wolfe's appointment was announced in a letter from the SGA's Executive Committee to the Intercampus Student Council, which states that he will remain acting president of the SGA "until the result of President Darwin Butler's hearing on Nov. 4 is known."

The letter states its purpose is to "confirm the constitutionality of several items currently under dispute, and lend legitimacy to our sending of Acting President Steven Wolfe to the selection process for the new student curator . . ."

Wolfe became interim vice- president following the withdrawal of former vice-president, Carrie Mowen, and his appointment had been an issue of controversy.

The letter from the Executive Committee cites several passages of the SGA constitution to support the legitimacy of Wolfe's position as interim vice-president and his appointment as acting president in Butler's absence.

"The officers, Sarah [Welch, current student representative to Board of Curators], and the other campuses . . . wanted more definite wording, so that's why the Executive Committee was pulled together for a meeting . . ." Wolfe said.

Wolfe said he believed the committee's actions would help maintain an image of professionalism during the proceedings.

"The emergency meeting shows that we're still trying to keep our act together," Wolfe said.

The letter from the Executive Committee states that Wolfe will remain Acting President until the result of Butler's hearing on Nov. 4 is known. Wolfe said it was not clear what would happen then. He said that Butler might return. In that case, he could resume his duties as president of the SGA. Wolfe said that if Butler's absence continued, further actions would have to be taken, which might include the appointment of another acting president until December. Wolfe said it was not clear to him what might then happen at that time.

"I'm still trying to sort things," Wolfe said.