The words "approved by affirmation" echoed around the room as cabinet position after cabinet position was filled by unanimous consent at last night's Graduate and Professional Student Council meeting-at least until it came time to elect a president.
After lots of arm-twisting from her peers, Cybelle McFadden agreed to accept a nomination for GPSC's highest office. Several other candidates were nominated, but all others declined their bids.
"I'm definitely excited," said McFadden, a second-year graduate student in French. "I'm looking forward to representing graduate and professional students." She added, however, that she did not expect to run because she assumed other candidates would be interested in the post.
McFadden said she was particularly excited about working with the strong cabinet that had already been elected at that point in the meeting.
Current president Tomalei Vess, a fifth-year graduate student in zoology, said she expected McFadden to perform well as the organization's next president. "She's been really good this year," said Vess, noting McFadden's communication and leadership skills within her own department.
Vess had prepared herself for the potential absence of a presidential candidate at the meeting's onset. "I was worried for a long time in that meeting," she said, adding that she "was not ending that meeting until there was a president."
But president or no president, the remainder of the meeting was as routine as clockwork.
Exactly one candidate was nominated for each other cabinet position, and several candidates nominated themselves for a second term in the same office. Vess stressed that next year's cabinet would have considerably more experience than this year's, in which ombudsperson Brenda Faiola was one of the only returning office-holders.
Ryan Opel, a first-year graduate student in law and psychology, will serve as McFadden's vice president next year. Opel was a law school representative to GPSC this year in addition to his role as an at-large member of the executive committee.
Opel added that the executive committee is lucky to have members like Carol Chancey, a second-year graduate student in biomedical engineering and current GPSC vice president, and Vess in executive positions next year.
Vess will assume the role of ombudsperson next year, while Chancey will move to the role of attorney general.
GPSC members also nominated five representatives to represent the organization to the Board of Trustees. These candidates must be approved by President Nan Keohane before they are officially appointed to their various committees.
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