Nearly three years after he resigned as Undergraduate Student Government Senate President, Jason Covener (senior-international politics) was appointed Town Senator at Tuesday's Senate meeting.

It took eight rounds of voting for the Senate's Town Caucus, a committee composed of all the town senators, to come to a decision about who would fill the vacant seat.

In 1998, Covener was arrested for using a keystroke-logging program to obtain the e-mail messages of USG members and other students, and later distributing that information. Covener plead guilty to multiple misdemeanor counts of unlawful use of a computer.

Last February, the USG Supreme Court overturned a ban USG Senate placed on Covener, and in April, he was appointed to the position of senate staff coordinator.

Covener said yesterday that he was happy for the second chance.

"I ended my time in Senate last time on a bad note," he said, adding that he wants to leave a positive legacy.

Some of the senators who spoke at the meeting were worried that Covener's past actions would be repeated, while others commended his recent work on the senate staff.

"It blows me away that some people think he will make a good senator," said Town Sen. Steph Wood, adding that people were uncomfortable around the Senate during Covener's last term.

Town Sen. Josh Sullivan spoke in favor of Covener's appointment.

"As far as problems with the past, I think guys change," Sullivan said. "He's been pretty easy to work with. He has a lot of knowledge."

The second through seventh rounds of voting were all ties, which surprised Town Sen. Mike Fazio

"I never would have thought it would take that long," said Fazio, who also serves as Town Caucus Chair.

"In the end, the caucus felt Jason Covener was the best choice," Fazio said.

For his part, Covener said he does not have an account on the USG computer system and does not plan to ask for one.

"It's best for me, best for everyone else," he said.

Covener said he plans to keep his position as senate staff coordinator for now, as a senator typically holds the position. He added that since his loss in last spring's elections, he had intended to apply for the first vacant Senate seat.

Covener attributed the close outcome merely to senators voting their conscience, saying it did not indicate great discord in the senate.

"I think everyone in Senate is mature enough to work together," Covener said.

When reached for comment, USG Vice President Amanda Hudnall said she and USG President Justin Zartman "respect Town Caucus' decision."