UMC elects three for top slots

Members of the United Minorities Council chose their voices for the next year last night, electing the umbrella group's top three positions. College sophomore Charles Howard ran uncontested for chairperson, College junior Tanya Castro had no opposition for vice chairperson and College sophomore Kris DeLeon defeated two other candidates for the position of program coordinator. The UMC serves as an umbrella organization for minority groups at Penn. Its goal, according to outgoing Chairperson and College senior Temitope Koledoye, is to further minority issues at Penn, particularly the recruitment and retention of minority students. "These elections are very important," Koledoye said. "Most University members look to the chair and the officials as the voice of the minorities at Penn." University Council voted last fall to grant a seat on the campus-wide advisory body to the UMC. Undergraduate Assembly members hold the vast majority of undergraduate students' seats on Council, which has about 90 members. After Koledoye briefly ran through current minority issues on campus, the election process began. Student candidates were required to make a brief, 5-minute speech, then answer questions. About 30 people -- including the representatives of all 13 minority clubs who regularly attend the UMC's bi-weekly meetings -- voted in the elections. Howard was the only UMC member who ran for chairperson. In addition to being a UMC representative, Howard is an Alpha Phi Alpha brother, a member of the Student Activities Council Executive Committee. He also sings in the a cappella group The Inspiration. In his speech, Howard said he wanted to make the UMC more politically active and not just a primarily cultural umbrella organization. He also expressed his resolve to establish bonds between the different minority groups, so that they can unite together in times of crisis. "Every minority should be present during the UMC meetings, even if they are not UMC members," Howard said. "People look to the UMC as [being] representative of the entire minority community." Castro, the newly-elected vice chairperson, approved of many of Howard's policies and promised to actively assist in running the UMC. Three people ran for the program coordinator position: DeLeon, Wharton sophomore Felice Chay and College sophomore Alzena Galaria. Many of their concerns centered on improving UNITY Week, a yearly event held each November, and the Celebration of Cultures, a day-long event held this year on April 4.