The Student Association chief of staff and RHA president resigned Thursday after being arrested and charged Wednesday night with possession of cannabis.

Jonathan Kite, 21, was arrested at 10:20 p.m. Wednesday after NIU Police were called to Neptune North about the smell of cannabis coming from a room.

According to a police report, officers questioned residents of a room and later found a pipe and grinding device.

The report stated Kite, who was also the president of the Residence Hall Association, was found to have a plastic bag containing under 30 grams of cannabis. Another unidentified person was referred to the Office of Community Standards and Student Conduct for possession of the pipe and grinding device that was found in the room.

NIU Police Sgt. Alan Smith said Kite was released later Wednesday night after posting $100 bond.

Kite said in a phone interview with the Northern Star that he resigned as president of the RHA.

“The fact is I made a very poor choice,” he said. “It was a terrible decision to make and has affected me very negatively.”

Kite said he won’t fight the charges when he is brought before the Office of Community Standards and Student Conduct.

“I’m taking responsibility for my actions,” Kite said. “I did it and now I have to deal with it. As a member of these organizations, I have to be in good standing with the university. When this goes through Community Standards and Student Conduct, I won’t be in good standing and would have to leave anyway.”

Kite said he is most concerned with the negative attention brought on to the SA and the RHA.

“I feel terrible about my actions not just because it has affected me, but because it has negatively affected these organizations that I care so deeply about and that do such good work,” Kite said.

SA President Erik Calmeyer said there is no bylaw concerning the replacement for the chief of staff in the case of resignation. Since the position is appointed by the SA president, Calmeyer has appointed Josh Venaas, current director of Mass Transit for the SA, to replace Kite.

“Josh has been in his director position for two years, and he was a senator before that,” Calmeyer said. “He knows every director position and the requirements of each position, therefore he is more than qualified to take over as chief of staff.”

Kite said he had not heard that Venaas was selected as his replacement, but said he supported it.

“I have full confidence in Josh’s ability to be chief of staff,” Kite said.

All staff appointments made by the president must be approved by the SA Senate. Calmeyer said this approval will be delayed until next semester to give Venaas an adequate amount of time to train in the position and to see if he is a good fit.

Calls to the RHA were not immediately returned.