Civil engineering senior Kristy Currier was elected chairperson by an 8-3 vote over former chairperson Christopher Kulesza.

“I am super excited to be able to represent the students of Michigan State University and the assembly,” Currier said.

Currier was a College of Engineering representative until March, when she was elected to a newly created parliamentarian position.

Interdisciplinary studies in social science and international studies senior Mary Burleson was elected internal vice chairperson by a 10-1 vote over James Madison sophomore Dillon Lappe.

“It’s a position that I’ve wanted for a long time, so I was pretty excited about it and I think I can do a lot to help the organization,” Burleson said. She was a representative for the College of Social Science last session.

In the final election, Lappe was elected external vice chairperson by a 6-4-1 vote over Kulesza. One member gave a vote of no confidence.

“My job will be to do what Academic Assembly tells me to do,” Lappe said. “They’re the representatives of the students. What they pass and tell me to do, I do. I go and I make sure it happens.”

Lappe was a representative for the North American Indigenous Student Organization.

All three chairpersons represent the assembly to administration on various committees.

“Part of the job of the chairperson is to take the bills the assembly does and take them to the Board of Trustees and to the administration, so I will represent what is coming from the students,” Currier said.

The internal vice chairperson needs to have a knowledge of Robert’s Rules of Order and the assembly’s code of operations to make sure the assembly can function correctly, Burleson said.

“I think I have a lot to improve upon and just getting to know (the rules and codes) inside and out because from this previous year, learning the loopholes in it is very important,” she said.

In March, the assembly had to consult the code to determine if they could create the position of parliamentarian, which was eventually filled by Currier.

Before the elections, some outgoing ASMSU members, such as Student Assembly Chairperson Michael Webber, urged the assembly not to vote for Kulesza, citing Kulesza’s inability to work with ASMSU’s central staff.

Kulesza resigned as chairperson of the 17th session in February because several ASMSU members said there was a lack of communication between Kulesza and the central staff.

“I did what I thought was best for the assembly,” Kulesza said. “I didn’t want them to have to choose between me and central staff.”

Many of the questions the assembly asked candidates involved how they would manage internal conflicts.

“I truly believe creating a personal relationship helps working relationships with people,” Currier told the assembly.