The Undergraduate Senate heard the first reading Sunday of Tre Matthews' nomination to be the new Student Union Board director.
Matthews will go before the senate on Sunday for further consideration.
Matthews said he would like to bring about further change in SUB and hopes people can open up their minds with the music choices he plans to make.
"I want people to be able to say [at the end of the year] 'oh my goodness, this was an incredible year,'" Matthews said. "'I've learned something, I've changed, I developed my character.'"
Matthews, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences, said he hopes that if he is confirmed, he can become the "spark" for something better to come out of SUB by choosing different types of music and bringing the voice of the student body into the planning process.
"We need to get people involved," he said. "We literally will come up with a survey and go out there with some clipboards and talk and say 'Hey, what [music] do you like? What would you like to see?'"
Matthews said he would like to see "true, clear and positive" representation of the student body on-stage this year.
"People pay a lot of money to go here," Matthews said. "Obviously, not everyone's personality that goes here can be represented [through music concerts], but I'm going to give it a chance to be represented."
Matthews said it was difficult to come into SUB so abruptly because many events were already planned and arranged when he started.
"I had to sort of jump on a moving ship," said Matthews. "I basically had to be an observer [at first]."
Former SUB Director Amanda Mustafic had planned out the fall semester's programs before he was able to take on the new position. He said he plans to add his flair to the music selections for the spring.
The SG dismissed Mustafic on July 14, The Eagle previously reported.
Mustafic was dealing with family issues and could not fully commit herself to do her duties as SUB director, according to SG President Seth Cutter.
"Amanda had loved SUB," he said. "We wanted to make sure that she was able to balance her family, where she needed to be, with SUB. After awhile it was clear she was having trouble doing that."
Cutter made the decision to dismiss Mustafic after she did not follow through with a commitment she made in July, he said. Mustafic declined The Eagle's request for an interview at the time of her dismissal. Matthews took over the duties of Mustafic's position this summer after a selection committee chose him from among six applicants they interviewed for the position, Cutter said.
"We found Tre to really show what we needed from the position," he said. "[He had] a commitment to work with the staff that was already there and a commitment to work with the student body."
Cutter said Matthews has been doing an excellent job thus far, and that he believes Matthews' past experience will help him get the job done.
"He is an audio production major and has interned at Night Sky studios," he said. "He has a promising career in this business and he is really passionate about it."
Along with Matthews' experience at Night Sky studios, he has also volunteered with SUB in previous years, and he is a hip-hop artist.
"It was such a hard position that everyone was put in, already having things planned, that Tre was not going to need much help from anybody within," Cutter said. "He can work with everybody and bring in his outside experience as well."
Matthews said he hopes to incorporate his outside experience for the upcoming year, and said he hopes people enjoy what he has to offer and will attend SUB events.
"Something new gives you a reason to come out [to concerts]," he said. "I want people to be able to say SUB's throwing it so it has to be good, I'm going to it."
You can reach this staff writer at atuman@theeagleonline.com.
