The Minnesota Student Association is planning to start the new semester with a clean slate and a new executive board member.

Stephanie Payne, former academics and services committee chairwoman, and Claire Antelman, former campus relations committee chairwoman, both stepped down from their positions.

Antelman said she resigned because of a scheduling conflict with the committee and forum meetings.

“We decided together that, unfortunately, a committee chair should not miss forums regularly,” she said. “I sincerely enjoyed my time on the Minnesota Student Association.”

Payne declined to comment on her reasons for resigning.

In their stead, the MSA forum elected Mark Nagel, a German studies and linguistics junior, and Grace Hanna, a strategic communications senior, during its Dec. 11 meeting.

However, MSA’s election work isn’t over yet, as Hanna resigned soon after being elected due to numerous other commitments.

“MSA has ambitious goals that have taken countless hours of work from many of its members throughout the semester,” Antelman said of her former position. “Maintaining a strong academic standing, while investing adequate time into MSA, is also a challenge.”

Elections for a new campus relations committee chairman or chairwoman will be held at the first MSA forum meeting of the semester Jan. 29.

Nagel has taken up the academics and services committee chairman position, previously held by Payne.

“I have full confidence in Mark Nagel as a committee chair,” Payne said. “He will be fantastic at picking up where I left off, as well as heading up new projects.”

Nagel has been an MSA member since 2005, his first year at the University, but took his sophomore year off to study abroad.

“I’ve had a good deal of experience in MSA at this point, and I really wanted to get more involved than I have been before,” he said.

MSA President, Emma Olson expressed her assurance in Nagel.

“I am really confident in his ability to find the issues that are important and make them known,” she said.

Nagel is working on improving the MSA Express and its ability to run smoothly.

“It’s become very popular, and I know that a lot of students appreciate it,” he said.

In the past, things always seemed to happen last minute with MSA Express, Nagel said.

Nagel would like to get additional sponsorships for the MSA Express as well, he said.

At the end of last semester, the MSA Express received $4,000 from Boynton Health Service to help maintain its services.

Nagel said he would also like to improve MSA as an organization.

“I would like to avoid internal struggles among MSA members and get them dealt with more quickly,” he said.

Instead of having arguments among members, MSA can focus on advocating for students, Nagel said.

“I would like to get the student voice out whenever and wherever possible,” he said.

MSA is excited to embark on a new semester, Olson said.

“The exec board as a whole looks wonderful,” Payne said.