The Housing Center Student Association named an interim president Thursday, said Diane Brittingham, HCSA faculty adviser.

Amanda Hearn replaced Nicholas Surgnier, who disenrolled at the semester's start.

Surgnier, former aerospace engineering junior, said the resignation was for personal reasons and had nothing to do with HCSA or the state of HCSA.

Hearn will serve until a replacement president can be approved by the Graduate Student Senate and Student Congress. The replacement president will serve until the next formal election process in March, Brittingham said.

"It was a complete surprise. Nobody knew [Surgnier] was leaving," said Couch Center Co-President Tricia Williams, Spanish sophomore.

She said she was taken off guard because of Surgnier's enthusiasm about the organization's plans and upcoming events.

Amber Gilbert, Couch Center co-president and letters sophomore, said she was told by Brittingham earlier this week that center presidents should not do anything related to the organization until an interim president is appointed. After Surgnier's resignation, UOSA called for all executive functions to cease, Gilbert said.

Walker Center President Brandt Smith, advertising sophomore, said Surgnier's resignation temporarily hindered the organization.

"It certainly put HCSA at a halt," he said.

Now that Hearn has been appointed, Brittingham said the organization can continue with normal operations.

"Center presidents will be making services available as soon as they get their offices staffed and organized," Brittingham said.

HCSA is a student organization that provides various programs and services for students living in University Housing. Each center elects a president, as well as individual floor presidents to serve on the President's Council.

So far this semester, none of the President's Council offices, located in each housing center, has been open. PC offices offer DVDs for students to check out for free, as well as pool and ping-pong equipment. The center president is also responsible for the office availability.

According to Smith, the presidents of OU Traditions Square and Adams Center resigned from their positions last semester and replacement presidents haven't been chosen.

"Open center president positions will be advertised for and selected once the new president is selected by UOSA," Brittingham said.

Many center presidents think the organization is in need of a change in its operations.

"We're hoping for a change," Gilbert said. "Our constitution needs to be revised."

She said both she and Williams think new positions should be added to the organizations, including a treasurer and a programming manager. Gilbert said they hope the recent resignations will bring much-needed attention to the organization.

"Any time an organization experiences something like this, I think that there is always a value to reviewing how the organization functions and how it is governed," Brittingham said. "It's a good opportunity for us to start those discussions and reviews."
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