Student Body Treasurer Paul Drayton will accept an internship with a New York City business firm this June and share his summer duties with a newly appointed student body chief financial officer.
Drayton announced his intentions to intern at JPMorgan Chase at Tuesday's Student Senate meeting. Rene Medina, a political science senior and former senator, will assume most of Drayton's responsibilities during his absence.
"Rene and I will communicate daily," Drayton said. "SG Finance will operate as if I was still physically present."
He said he decided to take the offer about a month ago but couldn't announce it until his assistant treasurers were installed at the meeting. Drayton sent an e-mail to Senate members Tuesday explaining his decision.
"After doing much research and speaking with many influential people in my life, I have decided to take on this once in a lifetime experience and still be capable of fulfilling all the needs of treasurer position," he wrote.
Medina served on the Senate's Budget and Appropriations Committee last year. Drayton said Medina's experience on the committee and two "intense training sessions" with Drayton earned his trust.
But Sen. Cain Norris said Drayton's absence will be a problem, and he should have resigned.
"He won't be able to put his full effort into the duties of the office," Norris said. "He is trying to have his cake and eat it, too."
While Norris said he does not doubt Medina's qualifications, he believes if Drayton is going to leave his duties in Gainesville, he should leave his title here as well. But Drayton's announcement only consumed about 15 minutes of a nearly four-hour Senate meeting.
After three weeks of setbacks and delays, senators approved all SG agency positions and Cabinet directors and secretaries presented by Student Body President Kevin Reilly.
Some senators pleaded for reconsideration of many nominees, but no appointments were actually overturned.
Among the disagreements was the approval of Sen. Zenia Birdie as Cabinet Family Affairs Secretary, which constituted a nearly one-hour debate.
Sen. Sam Miorelli said Birdie is ineligible to handle the position because she does not have her own family.
"It would be similar to appointing someone who had never been in the military to be head of veterans affairs," Miorelli said.
Birdie defended her qualifications and said not having a family of her own will serve as a balance by enabling her to offer an unbiased student perspective on issues.
