Let the race for Young Trustee begin.
At last night's Duke Student Government meeting, Vice President for Community Interaction Carrie Johnson threw her hat into the ring for the undergraduate spot on the Board of Trustees.
Johnson's announcement is the first of the race, which usually attracts more than 10 initial candidates. Johnson resigned as chair of the Young Trustee Nominating Committee, one of the major responsibilities of her vice presidency.
The YTNC is part of the Intercommunity Council, a group of student leaders that includes DSG officials, the editor of The Chronicle and presidents and chairs of other student organizations.
Each January, the YTNC narrows down the candidates for the Young Trustee position to three. The DSG legislature then selects the Young Trustee through a final vote in January. The Young Trustee serves a three-year term, gaining voting privileges in the second year of service.
Johnson said she will remain a member of the ICC.
"I'll still be working with the ICC and [DSG President] C.J. [Walsh]," Johnson said.
The senior was DSG co-coordinator of student leadership last year, and has served in various leadership positions outside of DSG, including in the Women's Studies Dormitory and Students for Choice.
Walsh also nominated himself Wednesday as Johnson's replacement as chair of the nominating committee, thereby eliminating himself as a potential candidate for the position.
"I ran for [DSG president] to improve this organization," Walsh told legislators, "not to pat myself on the back. I want to be a normal person after I graduate."
Walsh's predecessor, Jordan Bazinsky, won last year's Young Trustee election.
In an e-mail sent to DSG legislators Tuesday night, Walsh explained that under DSG bylaw he is charged with appointing another elected member of the Cabinet to chair the selection process. Walsh said his decision to chair the selection committee himself was one made by process-of-elimination.
Walsh said Executive Vice President Drew Ensign also has expressed interest in running for Young Trustee and would thus be ineligible.
Ensign confirmed that he is considering running but has not made a final decision.
Vice President for Academic Affairs Abhijit Prabhu declined the chair position due to his academic load. Walsh said he also felt it would be inappropriate for Vice President for Student Affairs Joshua Jean-Baptiste and Vice President for Facilities and Athletics Matthew Slovik to chair the committee because both are not seniors.
IN OTHER BUSINESS: DSG legislators voted unanimously to increase the DSG portion of the student activity fee by $2 to $72 a year.
The increase is intended to adjust for the University-wide standard 3 percent inflation rate.
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