The Graduate Student Council (GSC) grappled with a reduced budget and new ideas for fall and winter programming at its Wednesday meeting. This year, the council has more closely scrutinized student groups coming before the council to ask for event programming funds.
At last night’s meeting, the group spent several minutes reviewing the cost of food as requested by the Shaking the Foundations Conference, held every year at Stanford Law School. Voting members ensured the programming would be applicable to a variety of disciplines before granting the event its full request for funding.
ASSU Vice President Kelsei Wharton ’12 updated members on recent events for undergraduates. He first advertised the remaining events of Love Your Body Week, which included film screenings of the documentaries “The Souls of Black Girls” and “Do I Look Fat?” In addition, Wharton urged attendees of the meeting to forward an application for the Constitutional Council to all of their e-mail lists. The Constitutional Council has seen lower participation on the part of graduate students in recent years, and both the executives and the GSC hope to reverse that trend.
“We need you guys to send it out to your respective lists,” Wharton said. “We need it to be up and running because there may be events going through the silo very soon.”
The group also discussed the process of appointing a new law representative. After receiving 10 applications for the position, GSC co-Chair Justin Brown proposed two options: the group could either put the vote to an elections committee or vote internally. Most of the group wanted to vote internally and to hear speeches by the candidates.
“I would want them to come in here and see a meeting so they know what they’re getting into,” said Addy Satija, a graduate student in electrical engineering and energy resources engineering.
The meeting concluded with a vote to fund a party on Friday, Oct. 15 at Ray’s Grill in honor of National Coming Out Day, which is Monday, Oct. 11. Brown brought the measure before the GSC, promoting the event as an all-inclusive gathering to rally support for the gay and lesbian community, especially in light of recent incidences of bullying throughout the country.
“If you’re coming to this event, you’re not just coming out as an LGBT person,” Brown said. “You’re coming out to support.”
Correction: In an earlier version of this story, The Daily incorrectly attributed the quote from Addy Satija as from Nii Okai Addy. The article also incorrectly stated that the party at Ray’s was scheduled for Oct. 9. The article has been revised to reflect these changes.