The Graduate and Professional Student Council concluded the year Tuesday night with a final round of elections, naming Board of Trustee committee representatives and approving the Basketball Campout Committee co-chairs.
Gavin Rogers, a third-year Divinity School student, and Laura Simmons, a fourth-year graduate student in cellular and molecular biology, were approved by the Council as the 2007-2008 Basketball Campout Committee co-chairs.
A new Campout policy will allow students to use FLEX to register for the Campout, and it will grant 21 discretionary tickets for sub-committee members, up from the previous cap of 16.
"It's the biggest event for graduate students on Duke's campus," Rogers said of the Campout, where graduate students have the opportunity to earn season tickets to men's basketball games.
GPSC also considered candidates for six Board of Trustee committees, starting with the business and finance committee. Ali Saaem, a first-year graduate student in biomedical engineering, was elected as a representative to the committee. Fourth-year graduate student in clinical psychology Sara Becker, who was not present, was elected after her statement, which emphasized her varied experience and knowledge of financial issues, was read to the Council.
Pae Wu, a graduate student in electrical and computer engineering, and Stefan Gary, a first-year earth and ocean sciences student in the Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, were elected as next year's representatives to the building and grounds committee. Both focused on greening and sustainable development on campus.
"I am very much of a 'take something and grab onto it and do it' kind of person," Gary said of his dedication to the issues encompassed by the committee.
The institutional advancement committee's elected representatives will include incoming GPSC President Crystal Brown, a second-year law student and Xing Zong, a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate in physics.
"I'd like to not only connect Duke with China but connect Duke with a more international world as an institution," Zong said of his goals, which focused on Duke's global reputation.
GPSC next voted on its representatives to the faculty, graduate and professional student affairs committee, formerly the academic affairs committee. The Council elected Soji Sajuyigbe, a second-year electrical and computer engineering student, and Gautham Pandiyan, a third-year student in molecular and cell biology.
Both candidates presented many issues they hope to engage, including mentorship, the needs of international students, a proposed graduate student center and subpar career services.
Josh Wilson, a second-year graduate student in medical physics and current GPSC executive secretary, will represent graduate and professional students on the Duke University Medical Center affairs committee. Wilson said he wants to see the committee be more active in effecting change in the medical center.
Representatives to the undergraduate student affairs committee, formerly the student affairs committee, were the final set of candidates considered by GPSC. Eric Vance, a Ph.D. candidate in statistics, and Elizabeth Holmberg, Trinity '03 and a first-year clinical psychology student, will serve on the transitioning committee.
Vance said his goals for the position are to solidify the message representatives bring to Board of Trustee meetings and to increase communication with the student body. Holmberg advocated maintaining the balance between work and play in the Duke academic and social scene.
Audrey Ellerbee, outgoing GPSC president and a fifth-year graduate student in biomedical engineering, said she was pleased to see that all of the positions were contested.
"I really think next year's group-the Board of Trustees representatives and the executive board coming in-is going to propel the organization forward," she said.
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