SAC names new exec. board

The Student Activities Council chose Wharton sophomore Jared Susco to head the group as its new chairperson in its annual executive board elections last night. Susco -- the Glee Club's representative -- and other newly elected board members will lead SAC, the umbrella group for most student activities groups on campus, during the next year. "I'm very excited for my upcoming term and I have many goals toward which I'd like to work," Susco said. "[I plan to address] student group debt, training of student group treasurers and constructing an on-line budgeting system which is easy to use and accessible." At the meeting, College sophomore Osamudia Guobadia of the a capella group Inspiration was elected vice chairperson and College junior Adam Warshafsky of the Jazz and Wind ensembles was re-elected secretary. There is also a rotating SAC liaison to the Undergraduate Assembly with Susco serving as the default SAC liaison. The SAC executive board -- composed always of the UA treasurer and eight members elected from SAC-recognized groups -- is responsible for granting SAC recognition to student groups, allocating nearly $450,000 in funding annually to recognized organizations and moderating disputes within and between student groups. Each board member oversees 20 to 30 SAC-recognized groups and serves as that contingent's liaison to the board. Several members of the board officially stepped down at Tuesday's general body meeting, including SAC Chairperson and College senior Katie Cooper, Vice Chairperson and College senior Cathy Hwang, College junior Chaz Howard and College sophomore Nimit Dhir. However, Cooper stayed on as chairperson until last night, when Susco was officially elected as her replacement. "I think we did a pretty good job with the cards we were dealt," Cooper said when asked about her four-month term. "I wish I could have done more and [that] my term lasted longer because I see so much potential for SAC." College sophomores Huria Naviwala and Chereece Lawson, Wharton freshman La Toya Baldwin and Wharton and Engineering sophomore Jay Haverty were elected to replace the outgoing board members Tuesday. "I think they'll be a great part of the team," Warshafsky said. "They have really good ideas and their goals are very well in line with what the goals of the SAC body have been this year." To ensure continuity, four of the eight Executive Board members are elected in February and the other four are elected in October. In order to be eligible for the Executive Board, candidates must have been officers in a SAC-recognized club since the first day of classes of the fall semester.