Grace Chionuma '96 certainly was not a shoe-in for the job.
She readily admits as much: "This is the last thing I thought I'd be doing sophomore summer."
Before she even took office, she was engulfed by controversy.
But such is life when you are selected to be president of the Student Assembly, even if it is only for the Summer term.
At the time of her appointment, Chionuma was not a member of the Assembly. After collecting The Dartmouth Review from students' doorsteps her freshman year, Chionuma had a reputation on campus as a political liberal.
Yet barely three weeks into her term as president, Chionuma has not started a single controversy and kept the Assembly away from the political squabbling which dominated the body for the past year.
Setting the 'tone'
Chionuma said she hopes to play an important role in paving the way for Student Assembly President Danielle Moore '95 and Vice President Rukmini Sichitiu '95 to realize their goals when they assume control of the Assembly this fall.
Chionuma said her first challenge is to erase the negative atmosphere surrounding the veritable confirmation process that followed her nomination this spring.
Immediately following Moore's selection of Chionuma, the Assembly's Nominations Committee questioned the legitimacy of her appointment.
The challenge placed Chionuma in the position of defending herself before she had a chance to accomplish anything or hold a meeting.
Chionuma was eventually confirmed by the committee, after a fierce struggle on both sides. And Summer Assembly Vice President Jesse Russell '96 said Chionuma is now focused on setting "a tone and a focus for the fall."
Among the tangible products Chionuma said she hopes to produce by the end of summer are a restaurant guide, a student discount card, a Student Assembly Course Guide and new "Who's Who" faculty guide.
'Education is a privilege'
Chionuma said she is prepared to make the most of this term from day one.
At the first Summer Assembly meeting last Friday night, Chionuma whipped through an election in less than two minutes, solicited the opinions of the nine members present, set up committees and moved through her prepared six-point agenda in less than 25 minutes. Chionuma appeared to mean business.
A graduate of Phillips Academy, she is pursuing a double-major in government and psychology.
Chionuma spent this past winter working at the World Bank in Nigeria. A fluent speaker of the native language, Ibo, Chionuma also translated medical information to native patients receiving care at a grass-roots women's care organizations in Nigeria. She called her overseas experience a "broadening one, which taught me not to take things for granted."
She said she now views her education at Dartmouth as an extraordinary opportunity in itself. "Education is a privilege," she explained.
Chionuma also cited the role her grandmother played in furthering her belief in the value of education and perseverance.
She said her grandmother was the second teacher to integrate the school system in Little Rock, Ark. in the 1960s. Also, her grandmother held her teaching job for 35 years.
"Thirty-five years!" Chionuma exclaimed. "I'm only here for four."
'I don't believe in God'
Chionuma's personal philosophy also contributes to her hard work ethic.
She said she is firmly grounded in the here-and-now.
"I don't believe in God," she said. "This is my reality."
Chionuma said she derives satisfaction from her work by making it pay off on a day-to-day basis..
Chionuma's tendency to act quickly has created controversy and brought her causes to the forefront of campus discussion.
During her freshman spring, Chionuma and several other students were involved in the controversial collection of The Dartmouth Review from campus residence halls during a three week period. The Review is an off-campus conservative weekly journal.
The students wanted the distribution of the paper to be limited to major campus centers such as the Collis Center and The Hopkins Center for the Performing Arts.
"I know people who are mentally affected by the fact that that paper is shoved under their door," Chionuma said.
Chionuma said in addition to the heated controversy she caused, she also received personal threats.
But Chionuma said she has moved on.
"People who see me only in terms of that incident, who aren't willing to talk to me, don't deserve to know who I am," she said.
