New Graduate and Professional Student Council representatives and executives were sworn in during a meeting on Wednesday in the Tucson room of the Student Union Memorial Center.
Fifteen of the 16 new and returning GPSC representatives took the oath of office. One was not present.
“”We’re going through some very important times in our history, so I’m glad to see we have some quality people coming in to the council,”” said current President David Lopez-Negrete.
Incoming GPSC President Emily Connally and Vice President Alison Betts were also sworn in.
“”The theme for this next year is to come to the table with proposals, not just demands,”” Connally said. “”I think the administration will be very responsive to that.””
Betts expressed her excitement for the upcoming 2010-11 term.
“”We had a great year last year and we have some great ideas and great people to work with them for next year,”” Betts said.
GPSC also handed out its year-end awards, including representative of the year, which was awarded to the College of Humanities Representative Lucy Blaney-Laible. Advocate of the year was awarded to Lopez-Negrete.
Lopez-Negrete also handed out his president’s award to November Papaleo, who served as a College of Social and Behavioral Sciences representative this year. Lopez-Negrete cited Papaleo’s “”elevating the standard and merriment of graduate students.””
Jessica Gerlach, this year’s events director, was recognized with the outstanding service award for her organizational efforts throughout the year.
The council also approved changes to the elections code and bylaws, with a major change allowing candidates for GPSC positions to campaign on the UA Mall, a decision that drew vigorous discussion.
“”You have the potential of some annoying candidates harassing people trying to eat their lunch,”” Blaney-Laible said.
“”If the issue is that we don’t want people to associate GPSC with harassing people,”” said Felipe de Mello e Souza, an Eller College of Management representative, “”then I sincerely doubt that will happen.””
During the discussion on changing the GPSC policy concerning write-in candidates, which states that a write-in candidate needs at least 10 votes to be elected to office unless they are a non-degree seeking student, Chief of Staff Jessica Carson quipped, “”Without any standards, write-ins would become a joke. Hilary Clinton only got one vote this year, but even if she had gotten 10, I don’t know if she would have accepted the position.””
The council finally agreed to allow write-in candidates to waive the 10-vote requirement only if another candidate on the ballot received fewer than 10 votes.
This was the final meeting of the year for the outgoing council, but the first of many meetings to be held through the end of the semester and the summer by new president Connally. Meeting times and locations have not been announced, but Connally said that at least one and possibly two more meetings will be held in May.
