Correction: This article has been updated to fix a typo in the spelling of Alpha Epsilon Pi. It is not Alpha Epsilon Phi, as it was previously written.
For the first time in 14 years, the chair of Accent Speakers Bureau will not be a member of the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity.
Shelby Buchanan, who listed membership in Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority on her resume, will take over the Student Government agency after being approved by Student Senate on Tuesday.
Senators approved 46 others for executive SG positions, all nominated by Student Body President Smith Meyers, who officially takes office today. Buchanan marks a leadership change for the organization, traditionally lead by AEPi members, according to Alligator archives.
Only one woman has been Accent chair since the organization’s establishment in 1967, the Gainesville Sun reported in 2010, noting some years were missing from UF records.
Meyers said only two students applied for the position: Buchanan and Sen. Jake Felder (Impact, District A).
A website for the fundraiser Dance Marathon at UF lists Felder as affiliated with AEPi. Felder declined to immediately answer questions regarding whether he applied for the position or is a member of the fraternity. Meyers said while Buchanan and Felder were both Accent vice chairs, Buchanan was the most qualified.
“I also think she will bring a healthy new perspective to the organization,” Meyers said.
Sen. Zachariah Chou (Independent, Infinity) was the only senator to object to executive secretary and cabinet director nominees. He argued some students weren’t qualified.
“I’m not going to tell you what to think, I’m just going to tell you what I see,” Chou told Senate members.
Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter at @k_newberg
