A controversial Winona State University student senator, Ezra Kazee, who last year described the tuition increase as “a gaping wound in the student body,” resigned last week.

Senate president Michael Hofland fired Kazee from his position as the cultural diversity representative to the Minnesota State University Student Association.

According to Hofland, “conduct issues” led him to fire Kazee from the executive position, but his resignation from senate surprised him.

“Ezra was not asked to resign, that was his choice,” Hofland said.

Frustrated with his reception at the senate, Kazee decided he had to leave, citing philosophical differences.

“I am a pessimist and I have an odd sense of humor that didn’t fit in with student senate,” Kazee said.

Kazee found himself on the losing side of at least two contentious issues in senate last year.

He was outspoken when voting against a senate wage increase and a tuition increase.

“Ezra was very outspoken and one of the most dedicated senators I’ve ever met,” Hofland said. “We lost a great senator this week.”

In his first year as senate president, Hofland is hoping to remake the image of student senate after it acquired a negative reputation marked by what he called “elitism” and “institutionalized conceit.”

He described senate as being “filled with controversy and strife last year,” which in part resulted from heated debates over issues like the tuition increase.

Hofland added that he was hoping to cultivate a “better sense of professionalism and openness to the students.”

 Kazee had trouble living up to the new image of student senate.

“Who I was as a leader and a senator didn’t fit with what Michael had in mind,” Kazee said.

Resigning from senate has not ended Kazee’s service to the students and university.

He will continue working with the Inter-Residence Hall Council and he hopes to attend as many senate meetings as possible.

“Senate’s loss is IRHC’s gain,” Kazee said.