The Graduate Student Council (GSC) began its first meeting of the new year with programming that embraced the winter season.
Andy Hernandez, assistant dean of the Graduate Life Office, informed council members of an upcoming family ice-skating outing slated for Jan. 22 and a graduate family bowling night planned for Feb. 26. Hernandez requested funding for the two events, which have both proved popular in the past. He has already heard from more than 100 people who have expressed interest in the skating event.
“People with little children can even go out in strollers and joggers,” Hernandez said. “It’s a good way for graduate students with families to meet each other.”
ASSU Elections Commissioner Stephen Trusheim ’13 updated the council on the events leading up to the student body elections, which are scheduled for April 7-8. According to Trusheim, the elections commission will have to be creative with this year’s spending. After budget cuts dramatically trimmed the commission’s coffers, its officers have been working to design efficient information sessions and candidates’ nights to provide accessible forums for candidates looking to spread their messages.
“We’d really like to have your help in drumming up interest in the elections among the graduate community to have a full Graduate Student Council again,” Trusheim said.
ASSU President Angelina Cardona ’11 brought council members up to speed on undergraduate measures. She along with other student representatives are set to briefly address the Faculty Senate in the next few weeks. Cardona encouraged graduate students to inform her of any concerns they wished her to bring before the Faculty Senate, inviting them to e-mail or speak to her personally about issues they found especially compelling.
GSC secretary Erik Lehnert ’07, Ph.D. ’13, proposed that the council reconsider its practices with regard to preparing and informing potential candidates for officer positions within the council. Lehnert suggested that members think about drafting transition documents for their respective positions on the council earlier in the year, as this process is often hastened with the turnover of council positions that takes place every April.
“It’s just things like making sure the candidate for secretary knows what the secretary does before he or she runs that make a difference,” Lehnert said.
GSC co-chair Jessica Tsai ’08 M.D. ’12 brought the meeting to an end by echoing the election commission’s plea for increased graduate participation in the upcoming elections.
“If you could start tapping people within your schools, especially in the humanities, such as education, law or business, that would be great,” Tsai said.
Contact Anna Schuessler at [email protected].