GAPSA elects leaders, sets goals

The first Graduate and Professional Student Assembly meeting of the semester opened Wednesday night with four of the eight executive positions unfilled, leading to not-so-hotly-contested elections. New members were nominated at the meeting to serve as the heads of four committees -- Nominations, Social, Policy and the Graduate Inter-School Activities Council. The positions were open because there were not enough people running during elections last semester. All positions received one nomination and the representatives from the 12 graduate schools voted unanimously in favor of each nominee. Harris Williams, a second-year Wharton graduate student, was elected social chairperson. Williams will take the place of former Chairperson and Law Student Gabbi DuBois. Williams will undertake the task of using GAPSA's $90,000 social activities budget to organize various socials and parties to integrate graduate students. Ken Kolaczyk, a second-year Fels Center of Government graduate student, was elected to head the Policy Council by unanimous vote. As Policy chairperson, Kolaczyk will be the liaison between GAPSA and the administration and will set the agenda for the assembly. GAPSA Treasurer and Vice Chairperson Deborah James, a second-year Education graduate student, nominated second-year Fels student Tiffany Keebaugh for Nominations chairperson. Keebaugh was not in attendance, but the assembly voted unanimously in favor of her election. Keebaugh will be responsible for assigning GAPSA representatives to the Student Activities Council, University Council committees and other ad hoc groups. The chairperson for the Graduate Inter-School Activities Council will be Alysa Kurganska. Kurganska, a second-year Wharton graduate student and president of the Eastern European Society, hopes to eliminate traditional divisions between different grad schools. The GISAC vice chairperson has the responsibility of promoting graduate student organizations for minorities, women, gay and international graduate students. "I want to get the message out to grad students to encourage more communication between the schools and promote incentive for inter-school events," Kurganska said. "I hope to gain more student interest and make students aware of the varying cultures among graduate students." Aside from the elections, the first assembly meeting addressed the budget for the 1998-99 school year, as well as goals and projects for the semester. For example, GAPSA Chairperson and Wharton graduate student Doug Hagan met with University President Judith Rodin recently to discuss initiatives to promote cross-school research and interaction. Along with the Wharton Entrepreneurship Club, GAPSA is sponsoring a Business Plan Competition and Entrepreneurial Coaching Initiative. The event is open to all undergraduate and graduate students and intends to integrate students from all schools in an academic competition for a $25,000 award for devising the best business. "It looks like we have a strong, enthusiastic executive board," Hagan said.

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