Seasoned council members and freshly minted first-year representatives came together for the first official general body meeting of the Undergraduate Council of Students Wednesday. The council filled its vacant executive board positions and liaison roles through internal elections at the meeting.
David Rattner '13 and Molly Lao '13 were voted in as Campus Life Committee Chair and Communications Chair, respectively, filling the two vacancies of the executive board.
"Campus life is supposed to be right in the campus," Rattner said. "It is about changing our day-to-day life," so no student concern will be too small, he said.
Lao said she helped to increase interaction with students last year with Twitter, Facebook and blogging mechanisms, and she will continue to increase communication this year.
Rattner and Lao join Council President Diane Mokoro '11, Vice President Ben Farber '12, Academic and Administrative Affairs Chair Eden Castro '12, Student Activities Chair Ralanda Nelson '12 and Admissions and Student Services Chair Chris Collins '11, who were voted in by the student body at the end of last semester.
The council also elected its liaisons to other groups serving in various capacities across campus and beyond. Jessica Liss '13, a former Herald staff writer, will serve as the Corporation liaison. Liss said "direct dialogue" with Corporation members must increase rather than allowing information to pass through a filter to the Council.
Michael Schneider '13 assumes the role of appointments chair, providing a link between UCS and the various student committees they appoint on campus. Stephanie Pak '12 will connect Brown with the other Ivy League schools as the new Ivy Council policy chairperson.
Former Herald Senior Staff Writer Mitra Anoushiravani '11 will serve as the liaison between UCS and the Undergraduate Finance Board. UFB President Adam Kiki-Charles '11 said this role would be especially important this year in "revamping the relationship between UCS and UFB."
Last March, there was debate on the relationship between UCS and UFB after UFB proposed constitutional changes that would grant them more say in various aspects of control, The Herald reported at the time.
Brandon Tomasso '13 was elected the council's alumni liaison. Mokoro said she would like to better "reach out to people who were ‘you' — one, five or 25 years ago." Communicating with alums can tap into a resource of knowledge for the council in the future, she said.
UCS also elected Remy Robert '13 as secretary; Holly Hunt '13, who was responsible last year for developing a UCS website, as webmaster; and Kyra Mungia '13 as parliamentarian pro tempore.
Next week, the council will hear presentations from Vice President for Campus Life and Student Services Margaret Klawunn and Dean of the College Katherine Bergeron.
