Senator Lauren Biksacky was elected as the new Internal Affairs chair at Undergraduate Student Government general assembly meeting last night.

‘I was pleasantly surprised by the vote,’ Biksacky said. ‘It gives me confidence inside USG that my peers consider me a strong leader.’

The IA chair, which was formerly held by Senator Jason Snead, is in charge of the inner workings of USG, which includes upholding bylaws and the constitution as well as monitoring senator duties and controlling the budget.

Biksacky, who served on the IA committee this year and worked closely with Snead, hopes she will be able to follow in his footsteps and continue the progress he has made within the committee.

‘Senator Snead left us with unfinished business, and I will do my best to take care of the issues,’ she said. ‘I plan on working with people on the [Internal Affairs] committee and other USG senators about what they wish to follow through on and what they want to leave behind.’

Although Biksacky plans on meeting with President Johnnie L. Lewis and other committee heads before making changes within the IA committee, she did note issues with committee schedules that she hoped to resolve.

‘We may need to have new meeting times based on current senator schedules,’ Biksacky said. ‘I know for me, I missed past meetings based on conflicting interests, and that’s something I hope to work on.’

Biksacky, who ran for the position against Senators Rahul Guha and April Jackson, won over the votes of USG senators after listing off her many qualifications, namely her pre-law major and personal qualities.

‘I have full confidence in Lauren,’ speaker Jeremy Lehman said. ‘In my brief stint working with her, she’s been fair and honest, and those are important qualities for an IA chair.’

Minority Affairs Senator Leo Almeida also noted that Biksacky’s ability to clarify issues would help make her a strong chair.

‘She can take a complicated rule and really break it down,’ he said. ‘We need an IA chair that can explain difficult issues, and Biksacky definitely has that down.’

President Lewis, who noted that all three candidates were extremely capable for the IA chair position, was happy with Biksacky’s nomination.

‘She has an energy about her that’s approachable but she’s not a complete softy,’ Lewis said. ‘An IA chair needs to have that sternness about them and combined with her energy, I think she’ll be able to make a difference within the committee.’