Duke Graduate and Professional Student Government presented committee reports and heard campaigns for executive positions during its final meeting of the academic year Tuesday.
Committee reports
Several of GPSG’s Internal Standing Committees presented an overview of the work they completed over the academic year. The committees work across graduate and professional schools to facilitate changes and communicate with University administration.
The academic affairs committee highlighted the implementation of a shuttle to the GPSG Community Pantry and its work contacting immigration lawyers to provide guidance to international graduate students.
The climate crisis committee spoke about its March sustainable events training, which educated club leaders on how to reduce event waste as part of the Next Level Leadership initiative. The committee plans to continue these efforts over the next year as part of a sustainable leadership program while working with Duke’s Office of Climate and Sustainability to educate graduate students about the University’s Climate Commitment.
The committee focused on communications discussed its work initiating a GPSG newsletter, developing an Instagram presence and selecting custom colors and a font for branding.
Committee member Kaylyn Macaluso, a first-year Master of Business Administration student at the Fuqua School of Business, described its focus as “enhancing the brand of GPSG.”
The diversity, equity, inclusion and justice committee highlighted its legislation urging University administration to support students impacted by a racist text campaign following the November general election. The committee also mentioned its microgrant funding campaign, which funded 28 groups and individuals participating in DEI-related work.
The external advocacy committee discussed its partnership with Duke Votes to host Democracy Day, a University-wide event held in the fall to encourage civic engagement. The committee also spoke about its ongoing speaker series — which aims to engage students with the North Carolina General Assembly — and a recent trip to Washington, D.C., which allowed 10 students to meet with the offices of five representatives and one senator.
The events programming committee recognized its success in hosting a winter formal this winter, which 500 students attended.
According to Shen Shen, a first-year Master in Environmental Management student at the Nicholas School of the Environment and director of events planning for GPSG, the “biggest achievement” was drawing a near-even distribution of attendees across the different schools.
The committee also hosted a “grateful hearts gathering” for Thanksgiving, a Halloween party and a movie night series for graduate and professional students.
The Durham relations committee spoke about the importance of strengthening key partnerships with Durham’s leaders, organizing community advocacy events and increasing representation in Duke’s Off Campus Advisory Board. The committee also highlighted its relationship with the Durham CAN organization, which seeks to strengthen community institutions.
The Rules and Nominations committee highlighted three bills it passed this year related to senators’ duties, speaker vacancy procedure and speaker term timing.
The student organizations committee emphasized its progress in reviewing funding applications and distributing over $96,000 to student groups during the academic year. The committee also created a guide on alternate funding sources for graduate student organizations.
Meet the candidates
The senate also heard speeches from candidates for GPSG executive positions ahead of the upcoming elections, which are scheduled for April 22.
There were four candidates for GPSG president: Shriya Boppana, a first-year MBA student at the Fuqua School of Business; Sheilla Faith Bosire, a first-year Master in Global Health candidate; Ian Redmond, a second-year at the School of Law; and Samuel Zepeda, a third-year doctoral student in romance studies.
Boppana emphasized “championing interdisciplinary education” and hopes to “encourage open conversations” about mitigating political pressures that are shaping the higher education landscape.
Bosire noted that she believes in “leadership that listens, acts and connects with students.” She highlighted building stronger connections between schools and increasing international student representation in GPSG.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Sign up for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.
Redmond pledged to provide international students with a network of immigration lawyers to help them stay up to date on pertinent federal actions, allowing them to be “proactive rather than reactive.” He also proposed a strategic reallocation of GPSG’s budget, which would emphasize cost efficiency while increasing funding for groups that serve cultural, identity-based and service-oriented missions.
Zepeda looks to leverage his connections as a Fulbright Scholar and his awareness of the attacks on international students to help support graduate students navigating the pressures of the “new government.”
Shen was the only vice presidential candidate and hopes to strengthen the internal GPSG connection in the position.
The senate also heard speeches from Christina Luke, a first-year Master of Public Policy student, and Sunag Udupa, a fourth-year doctoral student in biochemistry, who are campaigning for the director of diversity, equity and inclusion, and director of academic affairs positions, respectively.
Additionally, second-year law student Kyle Beck said he hopes to expand upon his committee experience in a bid for director of external advocacy. Calvin Rausch, a first-year Master of Public Policy candidate, campaigned for director of the GPSG Community Pantry, for which she is currently inventory coordinator.
Kate Haver is a Trinity sophomore and a university news editor of The Chronicle's 120th volume.