Citing medical reasons, Undergraduate Council of Students President Brian Bidadi '06 resigned Tuesday evening.
The resignation leaves Vice President Sarah Saxton-Frump '07 as acting president until next Wednesday, when internal elections will be held to determine Bidadi's replacement.
"I will be going on medical leave during the spring semester," Bidadi wrote in an e-mail to The Herald. "I will be back in the fall semester, 2006."
Bidadi wrote that "UCS accomplished a great deal" during his time as president, especially through its student life initiatives. During his term, UCS initiated a Napster pilot program as well as Internet Protocol Television, which allows students to watch cable television through the Brown network. UCS also attempted to improve its image and relationship with the student body by engaging in "dorm rounds."
Saxton-Frump said she was "very disappointed" when she heard of Bidadi's resignation.
"(Bidadi) was a very strong president and has done a good job of building a strong council. He will be missed," she said.
Communications Chair Tristan Freeman '07 echoed Saxton-Frump's sentiment.
"It's unfortunate that these medical circumstances have affected his ability to perform this semester," Freeman said. But he added that Bidadi's absence will not drastically affect the council. "UCS has a body strong enough to withstand this."
Also resigning from UCS for medical reasons was Academic and Administrative Affairs Chair Dave Beckoff '08, who is taking the semester off.
"I am feeling a reoccurrence of a chronic illness," Beckoff said by phone from his Connecticut home, adding that "it was an extremely difficult decision" to resign.
UCS notified the Brown community of the resignations in an e-mail Tuesday.
Saxton-Frump said internal elections will be held next Wednesday to fill the two openings, as well as the treasurer position, which Will Cunningham '07 vacated this semester to go abroad. But she added that an election to fill four at-large class representative spots will be held immediately before the executive board election, allowing any Brown student to become a member of UCS and consequently be eligible for the presidency.
