Meredith Epstein '97 was elected secretary of the Ivy Council, a discussion-and-action group made up of student government members from the eight Ivy League schools.
Seven members of Dartmouth's Student Assembly traveled to Cornell University two weeks ago for a three-day meeting, where the elections took place. The meeting also included workshops and parliamentary sessions.
The Council, which meets once each term, attempts to serve as a platform for student action and as a forum for ideas, Princeton University junior Justin Beckelman, who was just elected Council president, told the Columbia Daily Spectator.
"The purpose is to foster interaction and discourse among Ivy League schools," Assembly Vice President Steve Costalas '94 said. "It's really helpful because we get to run ideas by each other."
Epstein said she is excited about her new position, which will begin Fall term, and about the organization itself.
"Right now the energy level seems to be really high," she said. "I personally think it's a neat idea to improve communications between the Ivies."
Costalas said it was beneficial to members of each student government to see what practices, platforms and plans other Assemblies had tried and which ones had succeeded.
He said the weekend was full of workshops and parliamentary sessions, in which the Council passed four resolutions.
Epstein said the workshops dealt with issues including meal plans, nonacademic advising and inner-council dynamics.
Matthew Berry '94, who also attended the meeting, said the workshops helped students evaluate the internal workings of their own Assembly and formulate external policies.
One resolution passed by the Council urged each school's assembly to work on putting students on search committees for college presidents.
Other resolutions asked that assemblies investigate the possibility of peer advisors for financial aid and promote Holocaust education at each school.
The final resolution of the weekend condemned the Ivy League Club of Sarasota and Manatee Counties, in Florida, which excludes women from its membership. The resolution said the Council condemns and fails to recognize any discriminatory organization with ties to the Ivy League.
Executive Board members elected include: vice president for external affairs, University of Pennsylvania sophomore Lance Rogers; vice president for internal affairs, Brown University sophomore Hollie Arnold; and treasurer, Cornell University sophomore Michelle Craimes.
The other Assembly members from Dartmouth who attended the Council meeting were Kishan Putta '96, John Steiner '94, Tyrone Thomas '92 and Mark Waterstraat '94.
