Paul Duncan and Steve Skutnik were appointed president and vice president of the Inter-Residence Hall Association Thursday night. Duncan, junior in transportation and logistics, ran against Tim Steines, while Skutnik, senior in physics, Jeff Greiner and Matt Heerema faced off in the vice-presidential race. The parliamentary elections were held after former President Tom Plagge and Vice President Chris Benson left office. Both residents of Hawthorn Court, Plagge and Benson stepped down when Hawthorn Court voted not to join IRHA. “I’m glad that this was taken care of in an efficient way,” Duncan said after being elected. “I’d like to say [to the other candidates] that we seemed to share the same enthusiasm to `fight the Man.'” Each candidate had two minutes to share his platform with the IRHA parliament members. Duncan said during his speech that he believed he had the experience to run the presidency efficiently and smoothly. “I was IRHA finance director last year, and before that I was a building representative and I am president of my floor,” Duncan said. To counter Duncan, Steines said he had no experience with student government but he knew what the students wanted. “I’m here tonight to actually make a difference. I’ve seen students in trouble and it’s gotten to the point where I had to step up to the plate,” Steines said. During Skutnik’s platform speech, he said he had the most experience out of the three candidates with parliamentary procedure rules and would be able to keep order at IRHA meetings. “I feel that I have the ability to defend the interests of IRHA in the university committee,” Skutnik said. “I ask for your vote.” Skutnik’s background revolved around being IRHA at-large representative for Richardson Court Association, serving as a liberal arts and sciences senator for the Government of the Student Body last year and also being on the GSB rules committee last year, which oversees all procedures at the meetings. Greiner, former IRHA vice president, was eliminated after a first vote that took Heerema and Skutnik to run-off elections. The first run-off ended up in a tie. Parliament voted again and chose Skutnik. Before the tie was broken in the run-off elections, Heerema raised his placard and asked parliament to consider striking the vice presidential appointment. He suggested that the newly appointed Duncan should break the tie and choose the vice president. RCA President Andy Walling disagreed with Heerema. “We should elect them because the constituents chose us to have a voice for them. Roberts Rules says that we vote, and we vote. That’s what we should stick to,” Walling said. Heerema then withdrew his motion. IRHA Adviser Ginger Olson counted the votes and announced the outcome in all four votes, but she was not allowed to announce the exact number of votes for each person. “It was done by secret ballot,” said Jonathon Weaver, Towers Residence Association president. After Duncan and Skutnik were seated, the meeting continued and the executive members were appointed by a bill which was passed unanimously. Finance director and RCA at-large, which were the positions Duncan and Skutnik held, will be filled at a later date.